E y e s - O p e n
by l i v i n g - c o l o r s
Summary: Ever since the battle in New York, Captain Steven Rogers hadn't been the same. After SHIELD assigns Steve a therapist to help him cope and better understand his new life in the 21st century, things only get complicated. Being pulled into the dangers that followed Steve every day, neither of them would have guessed this was the worst and best thing to happen. Steve/OC SteveXOC
1. Prologue

**A/N: **This is set after The Avengers and will continue onward.

* * *

**S**ummary

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_"Ever since the battle in New York, Captain Steven Rogers hadn't been the same. After SHIELD assigns Steve with a therapist to help him cope and better understand his new life in the 21st century, things only get more complicated. Being pulled into the dangers that followed Steve every day, neither of them would have guessed this was the worst and best thing to happen to them."_

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**P**rolouge

* * *

_"…Not a perfect soldier, but a good man."_

* * *

Steve jolted awake from another nightmare.

He stared out the window with wide eyes, a clammy hand flying to his chest. His heart was beating wildly. This time the Chitauri killed Tony off… Last time it was Natasha, the time before… Thor. It would only be a matter of time before it was himself.

Steve didn't know how much more of this he could take… Every single night was the same thing—or if not a nightmare—a _painful_ memory.

Peggy, Bucky, General Philip…

_I'm becoming an incredible liar_, he thought to himself. Everyone assumed he'd adjust well to this new world, but the fact was he hadn't and didn't think he ever would.

Taking a deep steady breath, the Super soldier slowly lay himself back down. He turned onto his side, clutching his pillow close to him. He then listened to the pounding of rain against his window, letting that sooth him back to sleep until he was stirred by another dream.

Once again, the Captain spent another night lying there, wide awake, until the dawn of day approached over the mountains.

**_xxx_**

"What—now?" Steve stammered.

"Yes, now."

Director Fury was insistent that Steve saw a Counsellor. However, the soldier was never entirely keen on the idea and wanted to reassure the head of SHIELD that he was perfectly fine and still capable of serving as one of their operatives, but Nick Fury had already assigned him a therapist.

This meant he was crazy, didn't it?

"I assure you she can help you," he said, handing Steve a portfolio. "She's highly qualified, has been with us for a few years now."

"It's not that I'm worried about…" muttered the man.

With a bit of reluctance, Steve wandered into the medic corridor where this woman's office was said to be. He didn't necessarily want to blow the therapist off either; he figured the worst that could happen was he gained absolutely nothing from the experience.

Looking down at the papers in his hands, he read the room number before finding himself standing in front of it. With a bit of a soft knock, Steve politely entered, "Hello?"

"Oh, come in!"

Her voice was soft… pretty much what he expected from a therapist. But entering the office, he'd been surprised by what he saw. She was a lot younger than he had initially imagined, probably just a few years older than himself… and smaller. Then again, Steve knew he was a large man in comparison to anybody who wasn't Hulk or Thor.

"You must be Steven Rogers, am I correct?"

Snapped out of his thoughts, the Avenger nodded his head and went to shake her hand. "Yes," he cleared his throat. "Um, Nick—Director Fury…said I'd be coming…?"

A smile tugged the corners of her red lips, "Yes, he did… And please, you don't have to be so formal with me. Consider me like an everyday person… Pretend I'm an acquaintance if it helps?"

Nodding, Steve went to go sit on the comfortable looking sofa. Its black leather material made a rather embarrassing squeak from the friction of his pants, but he didn't think she took notice from how occupied she seemed scribbling something down on her notepad.

Steve couldn't help but appreciate how bouncy her long golden locks were… Reminded him of how women usually wore their hair when he was serving the war.

Finally, she took her spot in front of him. "So," she began, crossing one leg over the other. "Let us start by introduction… I'll go first. My name is Anna McCoy and I'm very open and all ears, so please don't feel you have to hold anything back from me. All you have to do is talk and I will listen, okay?"

Steve was beginning to think that this was actually a good idea…

How bad could it be?


	2. Chapter ONE

**A/N: **I had intended on posting this chapter along with the prologue but I got a little busy, much apologies!

* * *

**S**ummary

* * *

_"Ever since the battle in New York, Captain Steven Rogers hadn't been the same. After SHIELD assigns Steve with a therapist to help him cope and better understand his new life in the 21st century, things only get more complicated. Being pulled into the dangers that followed Steve every day, neither of them would have guessed this was the worst and best thing to happen to them." _

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**C**hapter** O**ne

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_"It's dark now and I am very tired. I love you, always. Time is nothing."_

_― Audrey Niffenegger, __The Time Traveler's Wife_

* * *

"Captain Steven Rogers."

Anna would greet him with one of her genuinely broad smiles every time he stepped through those office doors. She was always looking forward to their sessions now, something new to be learned every time. It had taken her about a week and a half to break the barrier before Steve had become more comfortable and begun going into more depth. Personal fears, sentiments about certain aspects of the 21st century, self-esteem… The list seemed rather endless, actually.

While the entire world saw an invincible hero, what Anna saw what could be better described as a lonely, broken man who'd become lost in time—_literally_.

It was no wonder Director Fury himself had come to her when he did. She'd recently heard about Captain America during her coffee break chit-chats, after he'd been miraculously discovered in frozen waters, but never paid much mind to him or the stories that followed. Her family knew of him, mainly her mother and grandfather, but as a little girl Anna never found much interest in a dead soldier with super abilities. It was rather ironic. When Nick Fury approached her with this apparently "confidential assignment", Anna was skeptical at first… or maybe a little uncertain in her own abilities as a therapist—at least after learning _who_ her patient was. She'd never dealt with anything as complex and, of course, uncommon. First of all… a used-to-be-frozen super soldier from the _40's_?! Her regulars were SHIELD agents that suffered a traumatic event while on duty. That was it!

Anna was definitely glad she took the assignment though. Definitely.

"How are you today?" The therapist watched as Steve took a seat on the couch, adjusting his brown leather jacket. He seemed rather fond of it, she noted.

He then propped his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers together. His gaze seemed to falter. "I… managed another night of sleep…" he muttered.

"A full one?" she asked, hopeful.

Steve slowly nodded. "I think so…"

"I'm so glad, Steven…" Progress. But Anna couldn't help but notice the worried look stressing his features. "What's wrong?"

Steve's lips formed a thin line. After a second, he answered, "…It's Peggy." His forehead came down to rest atop his fingers. "I… I need to see her… I just…" The soldier's jaw hardened from his emotional struggle, evidently frustrated with himself. He was afraid of closing his eyes most of the time. To see _her_ there. To remember.

Hah. A "superhero" scared of his own conscience? What kind of man cowered at the very idea of making things right, correcting his wrongs—his mistakes?

"_I gotta put her in the water."_

"_Please, don't do this. We have time. We can work it out." Peggy pleaded._

"_Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die. Peggy, this is my choice."_

Steve's large form began to tremble, overcome by memories…

"_Peggy?"_

"_I'm here." Her words were barely a whisper._

"_I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance."_

_Then soft sobbing. "Alright. A weak, next Saturday, at the Stork Club."_

"_You got it."_

"_Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late! Understood?"_

"_You know, I still don't know how to dance."_

"_I'll show you how. Just be there."_

"Steven?"

Steve flinched.

A gentle touch to the shoulder pulled the tortured man right from his painful recollections. Lifting his gaze, it then met with Anna's. His fingers found their way into his ash-blonde locks, running through them. "…Sorry…" he mumbled, finally turning away.

Taking a seat next to him, the woman could only encourage him with a sympathetic smile. "Sorry for what? Can you tell me what you were thinking about at this moment…? What had you so upset? Did you think about Peggy?"

Steve let out a shaky breath. "Y-yeah… yeah, I did. Don't really know what the hell has gotten into me… One thing after the other, I guess." he shrugged.

Though to be fair, Peggy was often on his mind—even before the onslaught of aliens in New York. It was just at that point when Loki had taken the Tesseract and all this nonsense with the Chitauri army began, his priorities changed. Steve Rogers had a purpose again, but did that honestly mean he'd have to live every waking day of his life engaged in some form of life threatening conflict just to maintain his sanity? All this anxiety was beginning to take a toll on him, avoiding Peggy only adding onto that. It was as though it weren't just the weight of the world on his shoulders, but just about everything else out there, too.

"How about starting off slowly?" Anna finally suggested. "You don't necessarily have to meet with Peggy face-to-face… not yet. I'm sure even the 40's had alternate ways of communicating?"

As Steve thought about it, the young woman stood up and went to pour some coffee. As she did, she thought of the Super Soldier's opinion regarding the difference in prices. For example, coffee had once been 85 cents a cup. Steve found it outrageous how much higher in price expenses ranged today. The more Anna thought about it, the more she actually agreed. But being born in the late 80's and only comprehending the value of money in the early 2000's, she never had to worry about 85 cents versus 2 dollars. Times were already changing rapidly at that point, so the transition wasn't as dramatic.

After pouring Steve a cup of coffee as well, Anna returned. "Here," Handing the soldier his coffee, the therapist took a seat back in her own chair and crossed her legs. "Well, what do you think…?"

"Like letters?" he finally questioned.

A giggle emitted from the woman. "Well, I'm going to go ahead and safely assume you, um, don't know how to use a computer?"

"Not at all."

"Then letters it is." A moment of silence was shared between the two as they took a sip of coffee from their cups. "With you and your Avenger friends all over the news after that whole mishap in New York, I'm sure she knows you're alive."

Steve cringed in guilt. "…Yeah… I'd bet on it."

_**xxx**_

_Dearest Peggy._

No. That wouldn't do.

_Peggy._

_I'm sorry._

Sorry? Just sorry? Surely you can come up with better than that, Rogers.

_I'm sorry about everything… I can't even begin to describe how hard these past few months have been, knowing I've had several open opportunities to come see you and have yet to do so… You're probably wondering how I'm even alive. _

_I don't know. I couldn't give you an explanation, even if I wanted to._

Steve sat inside the small room of his apartment with crumpled pieces of paper scattered all over the floors and table. His left leg compulsively bounced as he kept scribbling and then erasing words, not at all able to get his thoughts onto paper. Steve would have never thought the day would come when something actually frustrated him more than Stark, but lo and behold!

Something as supposedly simple as writing a letter became the most challenging task to date, hands down.

After setting his pencil down with a defeated sigh, the Avenger reached for the confidential folder on the table and opened it. The shaking of his leg abruptly stopped. A picture of Peggy Carter during World War II greeted him once more. She was still as sophisticatedly beautiful as he remembered her being. Yes, it was subtle things like a single faded picture that kept reassuring him his past life hadn't been a dream but a reality.

Suddenly he'd become inspired to write his letter again.

_All I know is that I regret missing out on spending a life with you. I'd give anything to turn back time and give you that date you've wanted._

It seemed like he'd written at least three pages worth of words…

…_You've always told me you believed in me and that I was always meant for more. Remember when I asked you if you meant it? I'm beginning to wonder if the same thing applies to me here… Lately nothing has made sense. Not aliens, technology, or even my purpose._

_I just want you to know how deeply sorry I am, Peggy. _

Steve reread his letter, not entirely satisfied with it… He was basically writing scattered thoughts down, trying to form sentences into them. But it would have to do. The Captain didn't want to waste another moment.

_**xxx**_

"How have your sessions with Captain Rogers been going, Miss McCoy?"

Anna sat within a large office, across from Director Fury. She clutched a notebook close to her, one that obtained all of Steve's feelings in words. She kept records of each meeting they had and what they discussed. It was basically a personal diary, written for someone else by someone else.

"He's showing a lot of progress, sir," she answered. "Steven Rogers has been through a lot, it's mentally exhausting him. I think suggesting he meet with me was an excellent idea."

"Well, I just can't afford to have him distracted…" Fury mumbled.

Anna raised a brow, "Sir?"

"We need him. The _world_ needs him. Along with Stark, Doctor Banner, and the rest of the Avengers… Captain Rogers is their leader; I know he's the only one I can trust to guide the others with the right precision and tactics."

"Sir, these things… take… time…" Anna's gaze lowered to her notebook, her ruby lips pursing. "Despite how physically strong he is, you have to remember that Steven is still only human—a human that needs time to himself, to cope with his loss."

Director Fury nodded acknowledging, "Precisely, which is exactly why I've assigned this task onto you, Miss McCoy. I believe you're more than qualified to help our Captain through this… You seem to be doing a well enough job so far."

Nick Fury could definitely see a small improvement from the American hero.

"I'll continue doing my best, sir." Anna stood from her seat, giving the man a small, yet appreciative smile. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have prior engagements I need to attend to."

"Thank you, Miss McCoy."

Being dismissed, Anna took off in a bit of a hurry. She was already running late—incredibly late. So late, she was sure she was dead! Time really flew by when working within SHIELD, not a day where she _wasn't_ kept busy.

_Don't be late please!_

_I promise I'll see you after work._

_Promise?_

_Yeah, I promise! _

Oops.

While frantically reaching into her purse in search of her car keys, Anna ran as fast as her legs could in heels. Having been much too distracted with her purse, the therapist was completely blind to her surroundings and suffered a rather painful collision against something large and solid. Anna hit the floor with a heavy thud, her purse's contents and paperwork scattered all over the floor.

"Oh—ow!"

"Are you alright!?"

While still left in a daze, Anna could feel someone effortlessly helping her to her feet. They kept their firm hands under both arms to support her, meanwhile she desperately tried blinked the stars away. What on earth did she hit? _A train_?

"Anna, are you alright?"

Oh.

Bringing a hand over her spinning head, the woman finally glanced over to see Steve was in fact that train she ran into. "Oh, god—Steven, I'm so sorry…! I was completely careless! I was looking for my keys… I should have been more careful…"

"It's fine. I think you took more of a hit than I did." There was slight humor in his tone of voice. "Are you alright though?"

Regaining the strength to stand on her own again, Anna brushed off any wrinkles left on her skirt and blouse. "I t-think so… Are you made out of diamonds by any chance?" she then inquired.

Steve had already started picking her things off of the ground and stuffed them back into her purse. A chuckle came from the man, "No… Unless someone injected me with another serum while I was sleeping?" He handed Anna her purse.

The blonde had just finished gathering her paper, too, rearranging them neatly into the file folder. She took her purse from the Avenger. "Thanks Steven… Again, I'm so sorry…"

"Apology accepted," The Captain smiled. "Were you in a hurry?"

Anna nodded. "I—" Her attention was then diverted by an envelope sticking out from the pocket of his jacket. She pointed at it, "…Is that the letter?"

"Oh," Reaching for it, Steve bashfully rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… It was, um, well…"

"Difficult?"

"Difficult," agreed the man.

"How do you feel now that you've written it? Remember… writing it is the first big step. Take your time… okay?"

"I actually intend on mailing it to her tomorrow morning…" confessed Steve. He was nervous and Anna knew it.

"Really? Why don't I go with you tomorrow?" she offered. "Either way we have another session, we can do that first before heading back to my office?"

Steve hadn't been expecting the therapist to escort him to the post office. Actually, he didn't think he needed her tomorrow. Oh, that didn't come out right. "Do you think… maybe tomorrow I can have a day off?"

"Day off?" Anna laughed, "Of course, Steven… You know my door is always open to you when you want to talk, too. Director Fury expects you to attend each of our sessions but I don't see why a day off would be such a terrible thing. Have fun."

Steve appreciated that. "Thank you,"

A ringing from her phone instantly brought back panic. "Oh, crap!" She answered, "Hello? I'm so sorry, baby, I'm on my way now…! I was stuck in traffic!" she lied, looking to Steve apologetically before scampering off again.

Steve watched with wide blue eyes.

Just as he turned to leave, the soldier spotted something left on the ground. A ring. Taking it into his hands, he examined it carefully.

_**xxx**_

Arriving at a downtown restaurant, Anna parked her car into the closest available parking spot she could find.

She sat there, her heart thudding inside of her chest. _Where is it!? I had it, I know I did!_

There was absolutely no way—not a single chance that Anna could go inside without it! Not without her ring. It wasn't just any ring, it was her _engagement _ring.

"Oh god. Oh no. Please… no, no, no!" She trembled in her seat, bringing a hand over her mouth.

A knock to her window startled her. Looking outside to see her little sister standing there with an impatient look, Anna rolled down the window and gulped. "…Hi!"

"Anna, where the hell have you been!?" She chided her, "Everyone has been waiting for you!"

"Tori—" Short for _Victoria_. "—can you do me a huge favor, please!?" Seeing just how urgent and desperate Anna's voice was, her sister nodded. "Don't freak out… but I lost my ring."

"WHAT!?" she exclaimed. "Anna, wasn't that ring—"

"Sh-shh! I know, I know!" Anna started her car. "Look, I have to go back to work and see if I left it there, can you please just stall them for a little longer?"

"And what do you expect me to say exactly?" Victoria huffed. "Anthony's parents are ready to leave. Even _he_ doesn't look that impressed anymore!"

"Tell him I went home to get changed, come up with something! _Please_?" Before her little sister could really respond, Anna was already pulling out of the parking lot and speeding in the direction of SHIELD's headquarters.

"Anna! Ugh!"

Anna drove into the highway. The woman was praying to God that nobody stumbled upon it and decided to take it to the pawn shop or even claim it as their own. It wasn't just _any _engagement ring. It was Anthony's (her fiancé) mother's ring, who had been given it by his grandmother, and was passed down from many generations since before then. They entrusted her with it and now it was _gone_. She was already running late for their engagement dinner. Oh, Anna was in hot water now. All of their friends and family from across town had even come in just for this special night… Anna knew she couldn't arrive without the proof of her engagement on her finger, that would have been a disaster!

When the sound of a motorcycle's noisy engine was heard just outside her window, Anna glanced over to see someone had pulled up next to her, keeping up to her speed. At first she thought it was a biker trying to be a nuisance in the late night, but it only took the right glance for her to see it was Steve.

"Steven!" Her wide eyes shifted from the road on the Avenger. "What are you doing?! Be careful!"

"You left your ring!"

_My ring!_

Looking over her shoulder to make sure no other cars were there, Anna pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road. Steve masterfully turned his bike around in a sharp U-turn and drove over to her.

Getting out of the car, Anna ran over to the man. "Oh my god, Steven, you're a life saver!"

Still mounted on his parked bike, Steve reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out her ring. Anna breathed out in relief. He then took her small left hand into his, gently sliding the ring on her finger.

The woman's cheeks flushed slightly in response. "T-thanks," she mumbled.

"You're welcome." he smiled.

Anna lifted her hand up, inspecting the ring on her finger. It was still intact, looked as though it never left her. "Steven… You have no idea how much I owe you! I thought I was doomed." Lowering her hand, the therapist sent the soldier a grateful smile, "2 dollar coffee on me tomorrow. Oh, don't worry, still no session as promised."

"Considering all you've done for me?" Steve laughed a little at her coffee reference. "I'm not one to decline a lady's gracious offer for coffee. Sure."

Anna grinned, "Well, I—"

Her phone cut her off, ringing impatiently.

"I really have to get going," She sighed tiredly. "Call me tomorrow, okay? Are you sure you don't need me to come with you?" Not that she was babying a grown man, but company was a good thing.

"Positive," he nodded. "I'll give you a call then. Have a good night, Anna."

"Goodnight, Steven." Anna gave him a wave, scurrying back to her car.

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**A/N: **That's it for the first chapter, I hope it wasn't too bad? Please feel free to review! I am open to constructive criticism and compliments! :P

Till next time!


	3. Chapter TWO

**A/N: **This chapter came out a few words longer than the last, I hope you don't mind!

* * *

**S**ummary

* * *

_"Ever since the battle in New York, Captain Steven Rogers hadn't been the same. After SHIELD assigns Steve with a therapist to help him cope and better understand his new life in the 21st century, things only get more complicated. Being pulled into the dangers that followed Steve every day, neither of them would have guessed this was the worst and best thing to happen to them."_

* * *

**C**hapter** T**wo

* * *

_"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."  
_

_― Albert Camus_

* * *

It was a chilly early morning in downtown New York.

Steve stood in front of the bustling city's mailbox, gawking nervously at it like a deer caught in the headlights. His breath seemed to get caught in his throat. The hero had suddenly become consumed by his own uncertainty… doubt. It seemed as though the nerves in his body no longer connected to the brain. Steve couldn't guide his arm far enough to slip his letter inside the slit of the box, paralyzed by fear. The envelope had now been sealed, his earnest thoughts and feelings to be kept concealed from the rest of the world until Peggy opened it. The thought of them finally communicating made the Captain's stomach turn nauseously.

What would she say? How would she think of him _now_? Any differently? Probably be furious with him…

"Hey, buddy," An older, plumper business man standing directly behind him wasn't at all impressed with how long he'd been taking. Steve glanced over his shoulder to see a few more irate people in line, waiting for their turn. "Ya gonna put your mail in the mailbox or not? I haven't got all day!"

"Sorry," he mumbled apologetically.

After a deep breath, the soldier finally did it. Peggy would soon receive his letter… It would be completely up to her whether or not to respond to it.

Waiting… now _that _would be the worst part if not anything else.

_**xxx**_

Anna stirred to the sound of her phone purring atop the nightstand, next to the bed. She groaned in protest, yanking her arm out from under the covers. In the process of blindingly reaching for her phone, the woman groped her keys, the smooth surface of some papers, and an old glass of water she'd left there for the night, until she found her phone.

Reluctantly lifting her face from the pillow, the therapist answered groggily, "…Hello…?"

"_Anna?"_ It was Steve.

Since Steve requested they cancel their session for today, Anna wasn't needed at work until later in the day. Sleeping in seemed like a good idea in the beginning, but now she was regretting it… How was it possible that she was even more exhausted than if she had awoken in the early hours of the day, like usual?

"Oh, Steven…" Anna rolled onto her back, letting out a weary yawn. She then looked over to see her fiancé sleeping soundly next to her. "How… did it go…?" Her voice was softer.

"_I did it; soon enough Peggy will know everything." _He sounded surprisingly relaxed.

"That's great… I'm proud of you."

Finally getting off of the bed, Anna tiptoed out of the bedroom and took a seat on the living room sofa where she could better converse with Steve on the phone and not worry about waking Anthony up. The man (or anyone for that fact) still wasn't happy about how late she'd arrived last night; they nearly had their party table taken away.

"_Were you still up for that 2 dollar coffee?"_

"For Captain America, anything…" she teased. "Hang tight, I'll come and pick you up."

"_See you then."_

Ending the call, Anna curiously glanced down at the caller display on her cell phone. She grinned silently once she recognized where the call had come from. "You used a payphone…"

He'd eventually adapt to technology, much like the rest of civilization has.

_**xxx**_

A few long weeks had gone and still not a word from Peggy Carter.

Steve did very well when it came to hiding his emotions, masking them through selfless resolution whenever he was needed to do what he did best: protect the people. Anna was the only one who knew about his letter to Peggy and not once had he told her any news of it; not that she'd have the chance to ask about it anyways… not lately.

Ever since a terrorist known as the Mandarin left a string of bombings across the country, SHIELD had become vigilant, but not quite able to intervening. Not yet. It had been more of a political act than anything else…

…Until Tony Stark got himself involved.

One threat, a personal invite for the Mandarin to challenge him at his front steps—and on national T.V—had Nick Fury wanting Steve to immediately intervene and knock some sense into the billionaire. Literally if need be. Busy preparing for the mission, Steve hadn't been around for anymore sessions, much to the therapist's dismay. Anna knew it was still much too early to confirm whether the soldier was ready for battle or not and yet SHIELD had him heading out regardless.

"California?"

"Yeah, I'm heading out tonight."

Steve and Anna stood inside one of the empty locker rooms. The enhanced soldier had begun packing his things into his duffle bag, readying himself for the trip. It had been the first time that Anna saw Steve Rogers in his Captain America suit; it was much more inspiring in person.

Making her way over to the bench, Anna took a seat and brought his helmet over her lap. "Are you sure you want to do this…?" she asked quietly, brushing dust particles off of his helmet. "…If you're not ready, then just…"

She trailed off…

Stopping what he was doing, Steve looked over to Anna in silence. His icy blue eyes focused on her gentle features, able to trace the worry stressing her forehead with creases. His therapist was genuinely concerned about him; it was actually a flattering thing.

"I've got one of the best therapists, I'll be fine." He sent her an involuntarily charming smile. Anna lifted her gaze, blushing at the compliment. "I promise I'll be careful," he added.

Anna huffed in defeat, quietly staring at the bold **A **printed on the front of his helmet. "So… has Peggy ever—"

"No," Steve answered right away, his lips forming a tight line. He went back to packing and adjusting his suit.

"…I'm sure she just got it," Anna tried being optimistic. "Mail delivery has gotten worst, believe me! I once sent a package to my sister and it only arrived three weeks later when I was guaranteed in just seven business days!"

Steve looked like he considered the possibility. "Maybe…" But he knew in his heart Peggy read it by now. She wasn't responding because she was livid. Perhaps she was on her way to smack him across the head with her cane.

The idea made the corner of his lips tug into a faint smirk.

"Hey, Steven…" She was standing right next to him. Steve bit his tongue in surprise, having not been paying attention to when she even made her way over. She was holding his helmet out to him, forcing a smile past obvious apprehension. "…You'll call me if you need to talk, right? Things might get a little rough out there—this Mandarin guy is even giving _me_ nightmares…"

She'd seen the broadcasts, they were disturbing and horrifying. Who knows…? The next bombing might possibly be in this very city, and they wouldn't even be aware, much like the last few victims tragically caught in it.

Steve was considering the same scenario. "I promise to call… if you promise to keep an eye out yourself?"

Anna nodded, "Deal,"

Finally taking his helmet from the therapist, Steve tossed it into his bag.

_**xxx**_

Anna sauntered into the lunch room, an ominous cloud hanging over her head the entire day since Steve left for California last night. Most of the agents had their eyes glued onto the television set as they ate, every broadcast in the city covering the Mandarin. So far nothing.

"Anna, hey, over here!"

Pulling her eyes away from the screen, Anna spotted a few of her colleagues at the corner table, having claimed most of it up already. Making her way over, she sat down and set her food down. "Good afternoon, ladies," she smiled politely.

"Geez, I've been trying to get in contact with you for a few days now!" exclaimed the woman she was closest to among the rest. Diana Conway: the Physical Therapist of their department. She'd been a few years older than herself, showing Anna around when she first came to SHIELD. Since then a friendship developed, even landing her a spot as one of Anna's bridesmaids.

"I'm sorry, Di. Things have just been really hectic lately… Juggling work, Christmas shopping, and planning a wedding… I've barely had time to myself." Anna sighed.

"I offered to help with the wedding," reminded the woman, taking a sip of her diet soda shortly after.

"I know, but I already have Tori, my mother, and mother-in-law helping with the preparations, I didn't want to crowd everything." She took a bite out of her chicken wrap, her stomach grumbling in satisfaction. Anna hadn't realized how famished she'd been.

Suddenly another woman interjected into their conversation, "How _have_ the sessions been going with Captain Rogers?" Her eyes glistened in curiosity.

"Fine," shrugged Anna. Taking another bite of her meal, she chewed and swallowed before adding, "…That's all I'm really able to disclose." Because of that, she's never discussed Steve with anybody who wasn't Director Fury… even if she didn't always agree with the man's methods.

Then again, Anna was a firm believer that everything discussed between herself and her patients _stayed_ between herself and her patients—never leaving the room.

"You're so lucky though,"

Anna peered at Diana with her hazel eyes, ash-blonde brow raised, "How so?"

Her friend laughed sheepishly, "You get to work with _The_ Captain America—that's insane!"

Finally, the rest of the women joined, "Oh, yes, he's so handsome!"

"And brave, I'd kill to get to meet him in person!"

"My son has so many of his action figures!"

Anna could only shake her head with a smile. Sure he was handsome and definitely a great role model for kids—but he was also a young man still searching for himself, aimlessly wandering a grey world that had become so unfamiliar.

Oh, just thinking about it broke her heart.

Having gotten to know him like she has, it was hard to ogle at him like the rest of the women had. Besides, she was a married woman—er, soon to be married.

"Oh, so, I finally got those tickets to that concert…"

The conversation carried on, but all Anna could think about was Steve. She obviously didn't want anything happening to him, especially when inside of that hard outer shell that disguised itself with the demeanor of a fearless soldier, was actually an inwardly fragile human. It only took so much to permanently wreck an already broken man.

_**xxx**_

"You're home."

Anna dragged her feet through the apartment doors, her eyes heavy with exhaustion from another long day. "Good to see you too, babe," She rolled her eyes.

Anthony had sat at the dinner table, gazing over the glasses sitting on his nose. It was hard for her to read his expression, but she was sure her fiancé was still relatively mad at her. He was a man who could easily hold the longest grudge—no competition needed.

It'd been weeks since the engagement party!

"What's for dinner?" she asked. After removing her red pumps and winter coat, Anna set her things down by the couch.

Anthony went back to doing their taxes, calculating just how much they've spent in a year and basically handling everything else Anna unfortunately didn't have the intelligence for. Or patience. "Nothing," he responded, not looking up at her. "I wasn't sure if you would be home early or late _again_…"

Anna held back an angry grunt. "…I see." Taking a deep breath, the blonde decided to make herself a sandwich, too tired to prepare a full decent meal. It was true… Lately Anna had come home late, but work took up most of her time. Steve had needed her, too. She wasn't about to let him down.

By the time she finished making her snack and came into the living room to turn the television on, Anthony had finished up.

"I'm going to shower," he mumbled.

Without so much as an answer back, Anna let him leave. Tonight she wouldn't let his attitude bother her… she just wanted to relax in the comfort of her home. Flipping aimlessly through the channels, most of them playing holiday specials, she finally stumbled across the news and decided for the sake of keeping herself informed to leave it on. Again, nothing had changed… The Mandarin kept in the shadows, but Anna could imagine the government was all over the investigation. Still no word about Tony Stark either… From what she read in the newspaper, one of his closest acquaintances winded up in the hospital from the latest explosion, resulting in the televised challenge to the terrorist.

Bringing the rim of her glass to her lips, she found her thoughts revert back onto the Captain again.

_You're being ridiculous, Anna… Steve will be fine._

He was strong.

_Give him more credit…_

And so she would.

Turning off the television, the therapist ate in complete silence.

_**xxx**_

Steve pulled up in front of Tony Stark's residence.

After killing the engine of his bike, the soldier sat there wide-eyed as he scrutinized the impressively ultramodern dwelling, sitting on a cliff. It was constructed of white polished concrete with spectacular panoramic windows designed to embrace sweeping ocean views.

"Typical Stark," Steve muttered as he finally dismounted his motorcycle and walked over to the front steps.

Delivering two firm knocks, Steve waited for an answer.

It had been his first time in California. Although the Captain would never get quite used to his advanced surroundings, he had to admit… he was enjoying the welcoming warmth of this place—unlike New York, where it had become so much colder with snow.

He shivered.

The door opening pulled Steve right out of his thoughts.

A tall woman stood there in her casual attire, her long ginger locks left down, past her shoulders. Her face seemed stressed with annoyance. Having read through SHIELD's files before the mission, he recalled seeing a picture of her clipped to some papers. Virginia "Pepper" Potts, wasn't it?

Steve cleared his throat, "Ma'am."

"Wait, aren't you that star-spangled superhero Tony worked with in Manhattan?" She was surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Before Steve could answer, Tony came to her side. His eyes bulged, "Captain?!"

Steve gave him a solemn nod, "Stark. We need to talk."

The man's face instantly fell. "Sorry, I'm on holiday break. In fact, I'm technically _gone_ for the holidays." Tony began closing the door but Pepper abruptly stopped him.

"Tony!" she chided, "Don't be rude."

"Okay, is this a bad time? Should I go?" Another voice.

Steve looked past Tony's shoulder to see another woman inside of the house, her wavy brown tresses a bit messy, and her features seemed tightened with apprehension. He was beginning to think he might have infringed on a serious discussion between the three of them.

The tension was pretty thick in the air.

"We were just about to leave anyways," Pepper said, heading back inside the house.

Tony followed after her, "No we're not!"

Steve stood there awkwardly. Having not been formally invited inside, he felt he'd be overstepping the boundaries if he let himself in. "Stark, we need to talk." the Captain warned from where he was.

"Not until I talk to him first," the brunette said. "It's urgent." Seeing the look of unfamiliarity from the young man, the woman rolled her eyes, "Oh, right, I'm—"

"An old girlfriend," Pepper finished, the bitterness dripping from her voice. "Anyways, Tony we're leaving, right now!"

"It was just one night," the woman shrugged.

"It was a great night," quietly commented Tony, earning a small cringe from the woman.

"Ah," Pepper smiled dryly, "Well, you know… you saved yourself from a world of pain."

Tony eyed the woman in insult, "What?"

"Trust me."

Steve remained silent among the arguing, but he was feeling very uneasy. They were practically sitting ducks; at any moment those terrorists could strike and the Captain knew he had to get Tony and the others away from here as soon as possible.

Once again, Pepper faced Tony and demanded, "Tony, we're leaving!"

"Okay, we've been through this… _nope_!"

"Yep!"

"The man says no—"

"Immediately and indefinitely!" Pepper interjected decisively.

The brunette eagerly clapped her hands together, "You know what, great idea, let's go!" She went to grab Pepper's bags.

"I'm sorry," Tony faced the woman angrily, pointing a finger at her, "That's a terrible idea. Please don't _touch_ her bags!"

Steve was able to pick up on how livid Tony was getting, almost immediately. "Stark, relax."

"Excuse me, what are you even doing here!?" he snapped.

"Honey," Pepper spoke, lifting her hand to gesture, "this is how _normal_ people behave."

"I can't protect you out there!" Tony tried reasoning with Pepper that they needed to stay put.

Meanwhile, the woman's eyes fell onto a rather large inflatable bunny sitting by the steps. Steve also examined it in confusion, with the tilt of his head. "Is…" she began, "…is _that_ normal?"

Tony and Pepper glanced over to where she was pointing.

"Yes this is normal!" Again, the billionaire's voice rose. "It's a big bunny, relax about it!"

Having about enough, Steve stepped inside of the house. "Hey, calm down, Stark!"

Pepper agreed, "Calm down, Tony…"

"I got this for you!" he stated, his voice less strained.

"Stark, it'll only be a minute of your time," assured Steve. "SHIELD sent me because of this feud going on with the Mandarin."

"I can handle it," growled Tony.

"You've put people's lives at risk!" reminded Steve. "I don't really think you _can_ handle it! You're a mess!"

"Guys…"

"Newsflash, Captain, not everything revolves around you." Tony went face-to-face with the soldier.

Steve's jaw hardened, his words coming out sharp, "Same could be said about you, _Stark_…"

"Hey, both of you need to calm down!" Pepper stood between them, her hands pressed against Tony's chest.

"Guys…!" Tony and Steve finally looked in the brunette's direction, her face pale with panic. "…C-can we, uh…" Her voice was shaky, "…D-do we need to worry about _that_…!?"

All eyes were silently drawn onto the television set inside of the living room, the news station showing footage of outside the residence. A few hostile helicopters were seen closing in. Steve took a step forward, horrified by the sight of a missile heading in their direction.

Both he and Tony instantaneously redirected their attention outside the windows. In that split second, every thudding heart in that room dropped.

* * *

**A/N: **Congrats, you're done this chapter! What did you think? The beginning of my story will intertwine a little with Iron Man 3's plot, like a crossover, but I promise there is more to this than just that!

Please feel free to share your thoughts and tell me what you think though reviews.

Till next time!


	4. Chapter THREE

**A/N: **Just wanted to say thank you for the follows and favorites I've been receiving lately, and of course to my reviewer. :)

* * *

**S**ummary

* * *

_"Ever since the battle in New York, Captain Steven Rogers hadn't been the same. After SHIELD assigns Steve with a therapist to help him cope and better understand his new life in the 21st century, things only get more complicated. Being pulled into the dangers that followed Steve every day, neither of them would have guessed this was the worst and best thing to happen to them."_

* * *

**C**hapter** T**hree

* * *

_"Fly me up to where you are beyond the distant star. I wish upon tonight to see you smile, if only for a while to know you're there. A breath away's not far to where you are."  
_

_― Josh Groban_

* * *

"D-dead…?"

Anna clutched onto the counter for support, her knees suddenly wobbly. She had to set her cup of coffee down before it slipped from her grasp.

"Yeah…" Diana's voice was soft, sympathetic. "…Guess even the great Tony Stark was no match for the Mandarin…"

From where she stood within the break room, the therapist watched as her friend slid the newspaper across the table, the front page headline instantly getting her attention:

**MANDARIN ATTACK: STARK PRESUMED DEAD**

"…Oh god…" Reaching for it, Anna kept reading the words over and over, enveloped in disbelief. "…Steven…"

She had no idea if the soldier was with Tony Stark at the time or not, Anna had no way of contacting him—oh, but she certainly knew _someone_ who could.

Pivoting, Anna hurried out of the room, Diana calling after her in concern.

_**xxx**_

"Cap? Cap, can you hear me?"

Steve jerked awake from the frigid night air freezing over him, his head instantly throbbing in pain. It took the man a moment to realize he was lying in cold snow, an unfamiliar dark forest surrounding him. "…What…?"

"Oh good, you're alive."

Glancing over at Tony, Steve saw the man was cold, battered, and bleeding. Looking down at himself, the Captain could see he was no better. His suit had been ripped and torn in certain places, blood seeping through and staining the flexible material of his star-spangled outfit.

His helmet long gone…

"Where are we…?" Steve finally asked, shivering as he got to his feet. His body was numb to any pain at the moment.

"Countryside Tennessee," Tony began sitting his iron suit upright.

The Avenger sputtered, "What did you say!? How the…?"

"JARVIS," answered Tony, grunting at the weight he was supporting. "Give me a hand with this, will ya?"

It was then Steve observed how beaten the suit actually was, too, no doubt taking a lot of damage from the Mandarin's attack. Thinking back on what had happened… all the soldier could bring himself to remember was the missile sending him flying into one of the walls. Between that and him winding up in water with Tony, everything else was a complete blank.

At least he'd been left breathing.

After what seemed like an eternity of wandering through endless amounts of snow, Tony dragging a tattered shell of metal behind him, they'd finally come across a bar. While Tony went to snatch the poncho off a wooden Indian, Steve peered into one of the frosted windows to see it had been empty. It must have been fairly late into the night… With JARVIS resting, they had no way of knowing what time it was or how far from civilization they'd been.

"I need to make a quick call,"

Looking over to Tony, Steve gave a silent nod and watched as the billionaire walked over to a phone booth. He wondered what kind of call he would be making and if it would somehow benefit them… As Tony muttered apologetic words into the phone, Steve knelt down next to the suit left sitting against the glass.

He tried not eavesdropping, but the last bit spoken from Tony caused Steve's head to perk:

"…_And I'm sorry in advanced because… I can't come home yet. I need to find this guy…"_

"Stark…" Steve called, pushing himself back to his feet. He stood there tight-lipped the second Tony stepped out, blowing hot air into his hands. "We should contact SHIELD."

"I can do this on my own," He began dragging his suit once again. "It's nothing personal, Cap."

"But I think it_ is_…" Steve followed after Tony, grabbing onto his arm, "You're making this a personal fight, I get it, the Mandarin put one of your men in the hospital, but you're going about this the wrong way."

"First of all," Tony yanked his arm free, "stop referring to people I know as 'my men', we're _not_ soldiers. Are we going to have this discussion every time we meet? Secondly, you're damn right this _is_ personal… so leave it alone!" With that said, he continued onward.

Steve's jaw tightened, "Stark!" Letting out a disgruntled sigh, the Captain kept next to Tony as they searched for shelter.

Even after 6 months the man was still infuriatingly stubborn!

_**xxx**_

Scanning her ID card, Anna paced inside one of the meeting rooms, her eyes holding a glint of worry and hope. Fury was spotted standing next to a few other agents, his arms crossed as he sombrely studied the large holographic screen filling up one of the walls. A map was projected onto it, a few blinking red dots scattered across what looked like the United States.

"Director Fury,"

The man didn't turn to her. "Miss McCoy, you're well aware that you shouldn't be here."

"I know, but I wanted to know how Steven was, is he…" Anna swallowed, not able to finish her sentence. Her heart began to race inside of her chest, anticipating his answer…

With a sigh, Fury turned to her. His hands then came to his back, clasping them together. "We've yet to get in contact with him," he answered.

Anna pressed, "Was he…with Tony Stark at the time of the attack?"

During the brief silence that had now filled the room, Fury examined the woman with his good eye. Seeing this, the therapist's body tensed slightly and she suddenly felt uncomfortable. Was he seeing something she wasn't?

"He was," he finally responded, his gaze subtly downcast.

Anna trembled, the breath knocked from her throat. "…Oh no…" She brought a shaky, clammy hand over her mouth. "…Steven…"

And she had such high hopes for him… The poor soul…

No.

_No_.

Steve _was_ alive. Anna promised she'd give the young man more credit than that. He was _The_ Captain America after all—just like everyone claimed and praised him as.

She cleared her throat, composing herself, "Sir, if there is anything I can do to help, please let me know… Captain Steven Rogers was still _my_ patient, I'd like to be there for him any way I can."

Director Fury gave the woman a nod, "Duly noted. Until then leave this to us."

_**xxx**_

Coming across a fairly spacious garage, Steve and Tony both exchanged glances before coming to the same decision: break in. Normally the Captain would be against the idea of invading someone's property like this, but he was beginning to fear he'd leave this century the same way he came into it, _frozen_—or in this case—_frozen to death_!

Kicking the door down, Steve let the genius and his toy in first before entering behind. They were instantly greeted by the warmth the garage had carried, much to Steve's relief.

Carelessly discarding his poncho onto the floor, Tony looked around and with a nod of the head seemed to like what he saw. He then went to plop the heavy suit onto the sofa, a weary huff emitting from him. Meanwhile, all Steve could think about was how he was going to communicate with SHIELD in the middle of nowhere, his com-link broken. Also, what the hell he was going to do about Tony? The man rejected SHIELD's help, even Steve's.

"Let's get you comfy," he mumbled to the suit, "You happy now?"

Steve's gaze reflected onto Tony. "What do you plan on doing now?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked, making his way over to the small workspace, some old tools spread across the table. Taking needle-nose pliers into his hand, Tony steadied his wrist while he plucked something out from the skin.

Steve's attention was suddenly drawn onto the entrance when a little body approached, warily clutching onto his plastic potato gun.

"Freeze!" he demanded, looking between Steve and Tony, "Don't move!"

Both men raised their hands, knowing very well they weren't in any real danger, but for the sake of the young boy. "You got us," Tony said. "Nice potato gun… barrels a little long…"

Steve rolled his eyes.

"…Between that and the wide gauge, it's going to diminish your FPS—"

The boy suddenly shot at a bottle, shattering it to pieces.

Tony dropped his hands, "And now you're out of ammo."

The child then seemed intrigued by the reactor on the man's chest. Steve eventually lowered his own hands with a sigh, moving over to the door and setting it back onto its hinges while both child and man conversed.

The boy's abrupt excitement startled Steve, "Oh my god!" His eyes fell onto Iron Man. "That's… is that… Iron Man?"

Tony shrugged, "Technically, I am Iron Man."

"Technically, you're dead," The boy hand him a newspaper with headlines of the mansion's destruction.

"Valid point."

Steve took it from Tony once he finished gawking at it, so he could have a look at it himself. He frowned, knowing very well that the Mandarin wasn't going to believe a thing printed on these newspapers. There was also Miss Potts who could very well still be in danger.

"That means you really _are_ Captain America…?" The soldier's eyes shifted onto the boy, his young face beaming in enthusiasm. At Steve's nod and small smile, the child grinned from ear-to-ear, "Awesome!"

"Listen, kid," Tony shifted in his seat, "We're going to need your help."

"What's in it for me?" questioned the child.

Tony gave Steve a glance before crossing his arms with a shrug, "Salvation… What's his name?"

"Who?"

"The kid that bullies you at school," Tony answered. "What's his name?"

His large eyes wavered, a look of sadness replacing what was once innocent wonder. Steve knew the look all too well. It was shame. "…How'd you know that?"

"I've got just the thing…" Getting to his feet, Tony approached the iron suit and opened a hatch. He pulled out what seemed to look like a small metal capsule to Steve, knowing very well it was far more intricate than that. The Captain wouldn't have been able to guess what it did or was even used for.

Tony went on to explain that it was a powerful, yet non-lethal, weapon to use against his bully in defense.

When the deal had been made, Steve tiredly leaned his side against the sofa, crossing his arms more comfortably. "What do you even need?" he finally asked the genius.

Tony's stare remained on the child as he answered the American soldier, "A laptop, a digital watch, a cell phone, the pneumatic actuator from your bazooka over there, a map of town, a big spring, and a tuna fish sandwich."

With the roll of his eyes, Steve peered at the boy, "What's your name?"

"Harley… And you're…?"

"Steve,"

"The Mechanic," Tony earned himself a few glances from Harley and Steve. "Tony."

Silence…

"You know what keeps going through my head?" he suddenly asked. "Where's my sandwich?"

_**xxx**_

"Anthony, I'm home!"

No answer.

Anna had been making more of an effort to come home earlier and spend time with her fiancé, but lately he'd spend his own time and energy on this _apparently_ important client that'd he managed to gain. Anna could only wonder how special was this client…? Anthony was only a financial advisor after all. And why did they have to use a financial advisor from another city? Surely this client of his could have easily found themselves an advisor where they lived, no?

Something was _off_…

Wandering into the hallway of their apartment, Anna found Anthony inside of his office and on the phone. "…Y-yes, sir… Of course… I understand…"

The petite blonde paused by the door, taking in the uncharacteristically nervous tone coming off her lover's voice. It was a little worrying if anything.

"…Tomorrow? But, I… Okay… Yes… Goodnight…" He hung up and sighed, his dark chocolate eyes gazing to the phone broodingly.

"…Baby?" Anna called out softly.

Anthony spun on his heels, staring at her in alarm, "A-Anna…! H-hey, how long have you been there?"

"Not that long…" she assured, making her way over to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. Her hands then traveled to his chest, feeling the soft fabric of his dress shirt on her fingers. "…What was that about?" she finally inquired, "Is… everything alright?"

With a clear of his throat, Anthony nodded, "Yeah… fine." He held her close, rubbing her back a little. "…I'm sorry I've been a jerk lately."

Anna smiled, "It's okay… I'm sorry I've been so late… I promise from now on I'll be coming home earlier to spend more time with you."

"Actually," He pulled away so he could look her in the eyes. "I've got to head out on a business trip tomorrow…"

Her smile fell, "…Oh."

At this, Anthony quickly added, "No, I want you to come with me. We'll make a weekend of it, what do ya say?" Just as she expressed a hint of hesitation to the idea, her fiancé's larger hands took hold of her delicate ones and held them to his chest. "Please, babe?"

"…But I have to work…" More like, she wanted to be present in case word of Steve came up. "…I don't know…"

"Look, we'd be gone and back from California in no ti—"

"Hold on," she interrupted. "Did you say California?"

He raised a brow, "Yeah, why…?"

Anna's eyes held resolute. "On second thought, I'll go."

_Coincidence_?

Anna saw it more like fate—a clear, brightly lit up in neon lights sign!

"I'm going to have a bath, care to join?"

Anna sent her fiancé a smirk, "Sure, I'll be there in a minute." After receiving a peck on the lips, she watched as he left the office. Once the shower was heard running, the therapist dropped into the chair with a sigh.

People have always told her that she was too caring of other people and it would one day catch up to her… If Anna was going to be completely honest, all this commotion with the Mandarin and Steve now having disappeared, it was stressing her…

Stealing a glance at the papers spread on her fiancé's desk, Anna read the name Aldrich Killian. It wasn't a name she was familiar with, but assumed this was the client he was supposed to be meeting with tomorrow…

That was when something else she read earned a brow raise from the woman. "…What's '_Extremis'_?"

* * *

**A/N: **I apologize that this chapter was a little shorter than my previous ones! D: Also for the cliffhangers. I am the worst for those, I will warn you now... :P

As always, please feel free to leave any reviews or feed backs! I'd like to know what you guys think so far. :)

P.S: For those of you who didn't catch on, Aldrich Killian is the bad guy from Iron Man 3. :P

Till next time!


	5. Chapter FOUR

**A/N: **Sorry for the late update! And this chapter is long again! :P

* * *

**S**ummary

* * *

_"Ever since the battle in New York, Captain Steven Rogers hadn't been the same. After SHIELD assigns Steve with a therapist to help him cope and better understand his new life in the 21st century, things only get more complicated. Being pulled into the dangers that followed Steve every day, neither of them would have guessed this was the worst and best thing to happen to them."_

* * *

**C**hapter** F**our

* * *

_"What we seek is some kind of compensation for what we put up with."  
_

_― Haruki Murakami, __Dance Dance Dance_

* * *

It hadn't been until the sun began to sink below the cityscape that their plane made contact with the airport runway, stirring Anna awake.

"We're here, babe."

Sitting up, she rubbed her sleepy eyes and glanced outside the window to see they were no longer flying. It hadn't been a long flight from New York to California, but Anna took a few pills to help ease her anxiety. They knocked her right out. She had a rather server phobia when it came to heights and flying was one of the worst ways she could travel.

Anthony carried most of their carry-on luggage; meanwhile, Anna was struggling not to trip on her own two feet, still relatively drowsy from the medication.

The California airport was bustling with people heading out and coming in for the holidays. "Let's head to our hotel room," suggested Anthony. He reached out to hold Anna's arm, keeping her steady.

She sent him a tired smile, "…Sure." Searching for Steve could wait until tomorrow…

_Just please be alright, Steven… please._

_**xxx**_

"The sandwich was fair, the spring was a little rusty… the rest of the materials I'll make do."

"Stark, this is ridiculous," The entire way into town, Steve had been trying to convince Tony that investigating the bombings and their link to the Mandarin on his own was going to wind up getting them killed.

Of course, the billionaire couldn't care less of the soldier's opinions. He brushed it off, "If this bothers you so much, go."

"And leave you to get yourself and possibly the boy into trouble?"

"By the way," Tony stopped walking to look at Harley, "When you said your sister had a watch, I was kind of hoping for something a little more adult than that…" He pulled up his sleeve to reveal the Dora the Explorer watch he was wearing.

Steve let out a frustrated sigh. Again, Tony was ignoring his warnings.

At least after getting some food inside of him and a change of clothing from the child, Steve found himself more rejuvenated and prepared for the next attack—if one at all. Much like his arrogant companion, the star-spangled hero wore an old grey ball cap, long denim pants, and a red collar shirt under a spare black jacket.

"_They were my fathers," the boy told them. "So… you can keep 'em."_

It was then that the Avenger spotted the approaching memorial, built around the crater left from an explosion. So this was why JARVIS brought them to Tennessee?

"When can we talk about New York?" The boy's sudden inquire made Steve tense up.

"Maybe never, relax about it." retorted Tony.

"What about the Avengers?" His eyes shifted onto Steve, "Can we talk about that?"

The hint of an anxious smile tugged at the corner of the blonde man's mouth, "…Maybe later…"

When he scooted closer to him, Tony shoved Harley an arm's length away, "Hey, kid, give me space."

Arriving at the scene, Steve stood there with a heavy heart. He couldn't imagine having to live through something as completely horrifying as losing a loved one by something as tragic as this… The first thing he noticed was the silhouettes of people along the concrete walls—of those who were caught in it.

He had to turn away.

"What's the story?" Tony asked. "What happened?"

Harley explained the story of a soldier named Chad Davis who'd won a ton of honorable medals from the army and that one day folks had claimed he'd just gone completely insane and made a bomb. Steve had to frown at that. "…Insane, sounds about right," he mumbled.

Was Steve any different?

"…And he blew himself up right here," finished clarifying the child.

Tony's fingers came to thoughtfully trace one of the shadows burned into the wall, an unreadable expression to his handsomely aging face. He was deep in thought, thinking over Harley's story and the evidence presented to him.

Steve's eyes followed him, "…Stark?"

"So six people died, including Davis, right?"

The boy nodded.

"…Yeah," muttered Tony, taking a seat next to Harley, "That makes sense…"

"What does?" Steve asked, not at all following.

"Think about it… Six dead, only five shadows."

After recalculating, the soldier was finally beginning to understand a little more. Gradually. "…Right."

"You know what this crater reminds me of?" Steve's eyes moved onto the boy, an amused smile threatening to show. Harley sure loved to talk, didn't he?

"I don't care," Tony sighed.

"…That giant wormhole in New York," And like that, Steve's smile faded. "Does it remind you guys?"

"Probably not the best discussion to be having right now, son…" Steve looked over to see Tony pinching the bridge of his nose. Had the battle of New York been haunting him, too?

"That's manipulative… I don't want to talk about it." Tony mumbled.

"Are they coming back?"

"Who?"

"The aliens." Harley was so absorbed in his own childish curiosity that he failed to understand how uncomfortable this topic had been making not just one, but both heroes.

"Maybe, can you stop?" Steve hadn't blame Tony this time for snapping, even he wasn't sure he could tolerate the subject any further. In that moment the man's wildly beating heart was picked up, the super soldier's face quickly became more concerned. Before he could ask if he'd been alright, Tony hastily hauled himself onto his feet and began to run with heavy pants.

"Stark? Stark!"

Steve and Harley scampered behind him until Tony collapsed onto his knees, his trembling form now beginning to sweat from anxiety. His shaking hands grasped onto cold snow, pressing it onto his clammy face.

"Stark," Steve knelt beside him, setting a hand atop his shoulder. His fingers came to grasp it a little. "Deep breaths," His voice was firm as he instructed.

"…J-just…" Tony swallowed hard, a gasp emitting past his quivering lips. He'd been unable to exactly form complete sentences while still attempting to compose himself. Breathing had become a chore. Once his breath had been caught and the beating of his heart steady though, the billionaire flung snow at the young boy who stood there silently. "Your fault,"

"What the hell!" Harley whined.

"…Your panic," Steve noted carefully, his eyes wide in revelation. "…It has been bothering you, hasn't it?"

Adjusting his cap, Tony let out a sigh. "…Nothing I can't handle," he muttered.

"…You're not alone, Stark…" whispered the soldier, eyes reflecting elsewhere. The empathetic tone of his voice caused Tony to silently raise a brow at his Avenger companion.

Then he realized.

"You too, huh?" He shook his head with a bit of a scoff.

"I…" Steve began, feeling the breath caught in his throat. Feeling Tony's eyes on him, Steve cleared his throat nervously. "…Director Fury assigned me a therapist…"

"A doctor, eh? You're insane now?"

A faint smirk tugged his lips, "…Something like that… She prefers not being called a doctor if that helps my case." _Dr. McCoy_ was too formal for her, he recalled her telling him. "But if I'm going to be honest, I have been getting better through her… I recommend you see her, too, Stark. If your anxiety is this bad—"

"I've got Banner for that," Tony finally got to his feet. "Don't waste your energy worrying about me, Cap… we've got bigger things to deal with."

Steve also pushed himself to his feet, off the slushy wet ground. He wiped his hands. "Explosions, right."

"Ok… where were we?"

_**xxx**_

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah," Anthony adjusted his business tie, inspecting his appearance in the living room mirror. Their hotel room was rather spacious and styled with simplicity—it wasn't anything too extravagant, just the way Anna liked it.

As for the beige suit Anthony wore, it played well with the light tan of his skin; meanwhile his dark thick locks had been slicked back with gel.

"I won't be long," he assured, finally turning to Anna.

"Mhmm…" She came to smooth out any wrinkles on his suit, managing a faintly brittle smile. It hadn't even been two hours and he'd already been engrossing himself in his work. Late at night, too. "…Be safe… Call me when you get there and the very second you're on your way back, okay?"

"Sure thing, babe."

A kiss to the cheek and he was out the door.

Anna wandered out into the balcony, wanting to appreciate the summer breeze of California while she had the chance. Not that she didn't love the snow that'd been expecting her return in New York… but she didn't love snow. Not entirely. Anything cold and wet she claimed to detest. Her immune system was also terrible, consequently the young woman frequently got sick because of it.

This trip's intention had initially been to spend time with her fiancé…and find the American superhero. Since Anthony had no longer been present and the medication had long since worn off, Anna decided she'd begin the pursuit—of investigation, if you will—for Steve. Tonight. Why wait until tomorrow? For all she knew, he could have already contacted SHIELD by now, but what if he hadn't…?

It'd been the 'what if's' that drove her resolve.

_**xxx**_

Anna had been blown away by the scene the moment she arrived.

"…Oh my god…" she murmured, completely horrified by the destruction left. She felt her heart drop at the reality of it.

All that remained of Stark's dwelling had been debris, large fragments of what had once been sturdy white walls, and yellow tape surrounding the perimeter. The area had been mostly cleared of any valuables but it wasn't necessarily 'things' that Anna had been seeking. Though, now that she was physically here, she wasn't all that sure what it was she'd been looking for either…

No doubt the authority would have located a body if Steve had actually die—no. _Stop that, Anna._ He was alive… she knew this. Her heart was telling her so—screaming it, in fact! Her intuition burning with certainty, it refused to let her believe otherwise.

With an attempt at peeking over her shoulder nonchalantly, Anna confirmed nobody had been nearby before trespassing past the yellow banner that had clearly been warning her to do the complete opposite. Perhaps if she just had a quick look herself, get a better understanding of the damage, it'll put her mind at ease…?

Oh, who was she kidding?

Not at all. If anything, examining just how _bad_ the damage had been only made her stomach nauseously turn in fear, with doubt beginning to eat at her optimism.

Nothing was popping up after what seemed like ages of searching…

With a hopeless sigh and turn of the heels, Anna had begun taking her leave when something smooth and twinkling under the pale moonlight had immediately got her attention. Whatever it had been, it was buried under a bit of rubble.

Struggling to step over the wreckage with pumps on her feet, the therapist kicked them off for the time being before climbing over to this intriguing object. Pushing off the heaviest fragment with a bit of a grunt, the woman's eyes grew twice in size at what had been hiding.

"…Steven's shield…!" She'd been both relieved and equally concerned by this discovery. "You stupid man, what are you doing to me…?" Getting her all stressed like this…

Yanking it out with one swift tug, Anna cautiously lowered herself from the pile of bricks and stones she'd been perched on. Once she was back on solid ground, the petite blonde had the shield rest upright, generously wiping it of any dirt. The minute she'd finally been able to see her own reflection past the significantly patriotic colors, Anna made a gap between herself and the weapon, admiring it with a thin smile.

A pleading gleam in her eyes was then seen as she focused them onto the starry night sky above her…

A silent prayer made.

_**xxx**_

Once they arrived into town, Steve used the closest payphone and took it upon himself to phone the private extension SHIELD had given him to contact in case they should lose interaction through their main communications. Naturally they were relieved to hear the Captain's voice again, most having believed he was actually dead, too.

"Good work, Captain. Report back, we've prepared you a flight plan back to California."

Steve glanced over to Tony who'd been standing there, his thoughts seemingly bringing about a more brooding expression to his face. "Understood."

After the call, the soldier returned to his companion. "They want us back…"

Tony frowned, "I'm not going, Capsicle. I've told you this already."

"I'm aware," Steve sighed, running his hand over his tousled blonde locks. "SHIELD is keeping track of the Mandarin's activities from headquarters… Maybe I'll be of use back in California where I'd been originally assigned. I can investigate from there." When Tony gave him a surprised look at this sudden liberation, Steve quickly added, "But I won't hesitate to step in if things get more out of hand by your temperament actions, Stark…"

Tony could only snort. "You're sounding more and more like them, Captain. What happened to ya? Fury reprogrammed you or something?"

"I follow and work by my own motives." Steve clarified. SHIELD and the super soldier just happened to bond with each other their through common cause.

"Fine, fine, whatever. I'll catch you later, Cap."

As Tony turned to leave, Steve called out, "Stark. Be _safe_."

"And take the fun out of it? Don't ruin this for me."

A mixture of annoyance and worry was seen on Steve's face as he watched Tony wander further into the city with Harley loyally at his side. As much as he wanted to stick around and be here for the sake of personal assurance, this soldier knew he needed to be elsewhere.

_**xxx**_

Anna woke up, more restless than anything.

"Baby…?" Groping the warm bed sheets next to her, she felt nothing but space. They were empty. Peering over to the alarm clock, the woman frowned at what time it'd been.

4:34 AM.

Not a call was ever made from Anthony.

Getting out of bed, Anna went to call desk service. "…Um, hi, I… was wondering if you might have heard from an Anthony Rossi…?" Her face fell. "…No messages or…? Oh… ok… thank you…"

They hadn't been in contact with her fiancé either…

Slowly sitting back down on the bed, Anna brought her hands into her face in mild frustration. She tried not to panic over it, creating possible scenarios and reasons as to why her lover hadn't returned to their hotel room yet… or hadn't called. It wasn't like him—it was like Anna, but not her Anthony…

Maybe because it had been a late meeting, the client offered to let her fiancé spend the night and he simply forgot the number to their room. Yes… that worked.

Eventually her eyes caught glimpse of Captain America's shield, having not been touched since the moment she brought it back and left it sitting against the wall in the bedroom. She would need to contact SHIELD and let them know about this…

Oh, Fury was going to bite her head off, wasn't he?

Deciding to just get as much rest as she could, Anna slipped back under the covers and closed her eyes with a heavy sigh… She had only needed a few quiet minutes of tossing and turning where she lay before definitely knowing that there was no way in hell she was going to get a wink of sleep tonight. Not without Anthony next to her. It had been while staring absently at the ceiling for an extra 20 minutes that the young woman thought of grabbing Steve's Vibranium shield and slipping it under the covers, right there where Anthony was meant to sleep.

Bringing an arm over the cool metal surface, Anna's fingers lightly traced the shape of the center star, suddenly feeling a sense of welcoming comfort from the shield. It was certainly bizarre (and confusing) to acquire that kind of sentiment from a weapon, but there it was…

In no time Anna had drifted, keeping her warm skin pressed into the pleasantly cold shield.

_**xxx**_

Steve had searched the entire premises and there'd been no sign of it.

Suddenly California seemed like a much bigger place than before. Since arriving back, he'd made it a priority to find his shield, knowing very well it'd been on him the day he came to visit Tony. The obvious thought came to him that it must have sunk into the ocean, but it wasn't definite until Steve checked every inch of the place.

His thoughts kept also reverting themselves back onto Tony, pondering on his current status and if the man had actually gotten anywhere last night in terms of investigating the string of bombings. Steve was actually willing to bet his money that the genius himself would get much farther than SHIELD.

The very second exhaustion set in, Steve reluctantly pulled away from the area and returned to his hotel room to get himself the rest his body desperately needed now. Going on 48 hours without a decent amount of sleep was beginning to catch up to him.

As he wearily came in through the front lobby doors, the soldier's baby blue eyes caught sight of a few officers standing by the front desk, speaking with someone. Steve then came to an abrupt halt, standing there dumbfounded.

It wasn't just 'someone'…

"…Anna?" His eyes were wide.

Tearing her eyes away from the questioning officers before her, at his voice Anna glanced over in Steve's direction. Her eyes were heavy from crying, but had become more alive at the sight of him. She gasped, "S-STEVEN!?"

Steve had so many obvious questions to ask, but one that popped out at him most was why she'd been crying.

What had her so upset?

Running over to him, the woman's arms instantly came around his larger form. He could feel her trembling as she sobbed into his chest, the tears drenching his shirt. "…Oh, Steve…!" she cried, now reassured the man was alive.

The situation Steve suddenly found himself in left the Avenger wondering what he should do until he recognized that the only clear action to do in these sorts of situation was to return it with comfort. The poor woman clearly needed it.

He held her for a moment, "What's wrong?"

"A-Anthony… he's missing…!"

Anthony was the name of her fiancé, right? Steve recalled his therapist speaking about him once or twice, but he couldn't help but feel a hint of neglect in her words every time she did. They must have not spent very much time together and the soldier was almost positive that was a pretty essential foundation to a relationship, aside from honesty.

Unless… that changed over 70 years too?

"Hey," He took hold of Anna's shaking shoulders, gently pulling her face from his chest to get a look at her weeping face. He gave her a promising stare, "You'll find him, alright? I'm sure there's an explanation for his disappearance, but for now you're going to need to remain calm… Can you do that for me?"

A nod came from the sniffling woman.

"Great," He grazed a thumb over one of her rosy cheeks, wiping a fresh tear. "Did you and your fiancé travel alone?"

Anna managed another nod, her heart unexplainably thudding inside of her chest. "…W-we came… to spend time together…" Well, no, that wasn't true. "…Well, Anthony had a client…"

Seeing how she was a lot calmer now, Steve crossed his arms thoughtfully. "A client?" he asked.

"Y-yes… He went last night… but I haven't heard from him since… I also came… because I wanted to find you…" She admitted, her cheeks an even darker shade of pink. "Where were you…?"

Steve gave her an apologetic smile, "…It's a long story… I'm sorry to have worried you, but I'm perfectly fine now."

"I can see that… You never cease to amaze me, Captain…" She laughed softly, wiping what evidence was left that she'd been crying.

He flashed a small smile, his heart lifting at her beatific expression. Steve hated seeing women crying, especially undeserving ones.

"Oh!"

He raised a brow.

"…I found something for you. I'm sure you've been looking for it."

* * *

**A/N: **I really hope you're enjoying the story so far. I promise it'll eventually steer farther from IM3 plot and become it's own, just in case some of you were wondering if this was some Iron Man 3 fanfic. :P It's not, promise! I have plans for Anna and of course Steve.

Please feel free to leave some reviews, I would appreciate that. :) Am I doing alright? What do you guys think so far? Open to constructive criticism, too.

Until next time!


	6. Chapter FIVE

**A/N: **I am sooo sorry for my lack of updates, I've been super busy! D: Thanks for the follows and favorites, they certainly motivate me to write! :)

* * *

**S**ummary

* * *

_"Ever since the battle in New York, Captain Steven Rogers hadn't been the same. After SHIELD assigns Steve with a therapist to help him cope and better understand his new life in the 21st century, things only get more complicated. Being pulled into the dangers that followed Steve every day, neither of them would have guessed this was the worst and best thing to happen to them."_

* * *

**C**hapter** F**ive

* * *

_"I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light." _

_― Helen Keller_

* * *

"Thank you for doing this," Anna said over the rumbling sound of the bike as it drove with purpose over the seemingly endless highway. Her long golden locks pulled back as fast winds grazed past them, the speed they were going more than welcomed in this situation.

"Don't mention it!" Steve kept his eyes ahead. "Any idea what your fiancé would be doing in Miami?" Having SHIELD track the man down through his phone, they were able to find his exact location, shocking Anna.

"Not a clue…" Her voice cracked with emotion, "Maybe he…"

"I doubt it," Steve had right away caught on to what his therapist was about to say. "There's no way he'd be stupid enough to leave you. Trust me, I think there's more to this than we realize."

A small bashful smile reached Anna's pale pink lips, yet still a hint of fear lingering to her expression. It really wasn't like Anthony to vanish like this… What had him all the way in Miami? She'd been convinced this had to do with the client he had to suddenly see so last minute.

It was the only explanation!

"I'm sorry to be pulling you away from your duties, Steven…" The motorcycle came to a slow stop once they reached a red-light. "I just don't know what else to do… The authorities would take too long to even begin the investigation and I'm scared Anthony is in serious danger. I can't just sit around and do nothing about it!"

The soldier could feel her arms tighten around him slightly, no doubt stressing over the possibilities of her fiancé's whereabouts and condition. "My assignment was to locate Stark and talk some sense into him… Although it was a bit of a failed mission with the interference and his own stubbornness, I'm sure he knows what he's doing… Besides, I have time to spare and I'd rather use it doing something productive."

Anna wondered if Steve believed that though—the bit about Tony… The tone in the soldier's voice told otherwise. Naturally a growing curiosity had the woman wanting to ask him about it… in full detail, too.

In the end, she decided not to press it.

"Despite everything else, you have no idea how glad I am you're still alive, Steven Rogers… No idea." She lost track of how many times she spent alone while gazed broodingly at a wall or desk, thanks the star-spangled Avenger.

"Sorry to have worried you, ma'am," he grinned in response.

"I suppose I can forgive you this time." At the sudden tug of the motorbike's ignition, Anna yelped in startle and held onto the soldier as tightly as her thin arms could when they began whizzing along the roads once more.

The trip alone would take about a day and—according to the satellite on her phone—18 hours more to actually get to Miami. Along the way, necessary pit stops were taken which had only added to those already long hours. Because of how hasty and unexpected the trip had been brought about, Anna only managed to throw in a day's worth of extra clothing into the single carryon bag she had on her. Steve on the other hand was perfectly comfortable with wearing what he had on now, his uniform being the only thing tucked securely into Anna's bag.

Only minutes after the sun vanished behind the horizon did the sky begin to pour heavy rain, making their next pit stop more of a mandatory one. Anna couldn't imagine how difficult it was for Steve to navigate his bike when water was slapping him across the face…

Steve definitely didn't protest to the idea of stopping for the night either.

Anna managed to locate the closest motel through her phone. Upon arrival did a broad and flickering sign advertising the name '**Sunshine Inn**' become instantly noticeable. The S in 'sun' and the first N in 'inn' were visibly broken though.

Dismounting the soldier's bike first, the young woman removed Steve's shield from her back and handed the weapon over to him. "This place will have to do!" She yelled over the heavy pitter-patter of nature's shower, bag brought over her head in attempt to keep rain from drenching her any further.

"Ya won't hear me complaining!" Steve graciously took his shield back, courteously holding it over Anna's golden head as he then hurriedly led her towards the inn and out of the storm. At an eye's first glimpse was it completely evident how easily affordable a room would be in a place like this.

"Where did this storm even come from!?" she wondered aloud, taking a moment to dry off before entering the small building with Steve.

"I think I'd take this over snow any day," mumbled the super soldier. The worst rain could do was wet you… Snow could easily freeze you to death and Steve was pretty sure if he ever saw snow or ice again it would be too soon.

Anna approached the desk, prepared to ring the bell when an older gentleman came out from the back. He greeted the couple warmly, his winkled face lifting at his expression. "Got yourselves caught in that nasty rain, eh?"

"Yes," She reached into her bag and pulled out her wallet. "Can we rent two rooms for the night?" She was willing to pay for Steve's room, since the man was offering his assistance with finding Anthony.

That had been when the elder's face fell in slight disappointment.

"I'm sorry, but we're completely booked—only got one room open for the night… Yes, yes, only one. Could ya's accommodate with that?" His eyes move from Anna onto Steve who had wandered off towards the display case on the wall.

"Oh, well…" The woman awkwardly shifted her stare onto her companion as well. He seemed fixated on what military medals and old news articles were exposed behind closed glass. "…I suppose… we have no choice…"

"Not unless ya intend to have one of ya sleep in your car?" he chuckled.

Not like they even brought a car…

"That's fine, we'll take the room." Anna decided, finally paying the elder. Once she was finished, she grabbed the bag and made her way over to Steve. He was leaned in slightly, his hands tucked into the pockets of his tan leather jacket. He seemed so lost in thoughts, he hadn't even noticed her there until she cleared her throat.

"Steven…?"

Snapping out of what thoughts were distracting him, the soldier stood straight and sent her a small smile. "All set?"

"Yeah… They only had one room, so…" With a shrug, she motioned for Steve to follow her.

Steve really didn't mind where he slept.

_**xxx**_

"Steven?"

"Hrm?"

"…Are you sleeping?"

"…Mm." (No.)

"…I can't sleep." Anna sighed, staring at the ceiling with her arms draped across her stomach. It was too warm to sleep with the covers on so she kicked them off, listening to the rain pounding against their motel room window. The soldier slept on the ground, sprawled lazily over cool bed sheets laid out on the floor that substitute as a mattress. Having been used to camping out in the wilderness during the battle against HYDRA, Steve was more than used to spending his nights resting on firmer, less comfortable surfaces. This was nothing.

Hearing she couldn't sleep, Steve brought his arms behind his head and allowed his sleepy eyes move onto the window. "You're worried about him," muttered the man. Not that he could actually tell, but it was expected.

"…Still haven't gotten a call from him…" Anna frowned. "I swear if something happens to him I'll find this Aldrich Killian and…!"

"Aldrich Killian?" asked the Avenger. It wasn't a name he came across before, but from the tone in her voice he suspected that she thought he had something to do with this disappearance.

"That's the client," explained Anna, "the one Anthony had come to see… I read his name on my fiancé's desk… Whoever this man is, he's using Anthony to help manage money used towards some project called 'Extremis'."

Steve had to admit even _he_ found it a little unusual that a man from miles away—in an entirely different city—would ask his therapist's fiancé to help with his finances. Then again, Anna had claimed Anthony had been a fairly renowned financial advisor in Manhattan. The name _Extremis_ hadn't run any bells either… but suddenly the super soldier was getting a very bad vibe from this. "Are you allowed to be snooping through your fiancé's papers?"

Anna had been caught off guard by the sudden inquiry, she even stuttered a little, "W-well, I-I… you know… just… we—hold on a minute! Don't judge _me_!"

Steve cringed. "My apologizes, ma'am…"

With an exhausted sigh, the young woman finally curled under the covers. "…You're right… I just can't help it sometimes—wonder what he's doing and how he spends his time… Anthony doesn't talk to me much about his day… and well…"

He listened intently to her words, again, able to sense the tone of loneliness laced in her soft voice. It made his heart heavy.

"…Let's just…" she shook her head, "get to sleep… Goodnight, Steven…"

"…Night." He didn't want to upset Anna and figured even she had personal problems of her own to deal with. Made the man that much more grateful for her services.

Steve had given a bit of company to the silence that had now filled the room before exhaustion pulled him into a deep sleep of his own.

_**xxx**_

The following morning started early.

Steve being an early riser had been ready to go by 7 o'clock. By now his jacket had dried and the clothing he slept in.

Anna on the other hand was still readying herself in the washroom. She could barely keep her eyes open, it was a constant struggle to even maintain balance.

_I'd kill for a few more minutes of sleep_, she thought to herself while pulling her blouse over her head. Her golden locks were also left a mess so she pulled them up into a untidy bun, knowing very well the second she got back on that bike the wind was going to ruin it anyways.

Hopefully by tonight they'd reach Miami.

Once she was dressed, Anna exited the washroom and stuffed her clothing from yesterday into her bag. She noticed Steve sitting at the foot of the bed, his jacket draped over his arm. When they made eye contact, he sent her a smile. "Ready?"

"Yeah…" Anna yawned and lifted the bag, only to have the soldier take it from her. "…How can you be energetic so early in the morning?"

A chuckle emitted from Steve. "Energetic? Well, I suppose it is one of the many habits I've adopted from being in the military." He opened the door for her, allowing her to step out first before following behind. "From the moment we wake, we're on alert and ready for just about anything."

"Ah, I recall reading that in one of your comics," she smiled, which only grew at the brow raise she was receiving from the soldier. "My Uncle grew up reading the Captain America comics… My grandfather was a huge fan."

"Oh," Steve adjusted the bag in one hand to he could clutch onto his shield properly. The motel didn't seem to have anyone aside from them a two more couples, so there wasn't any attention being given to his weapon. A teasing smirk stretched his lips, "And would you say you're a fan?"

Anna shrugged, "I was a normal girl—you know, into her dolls and teddy bears. I guess I can give your comics a go though. I can even ask you how accurate they actually are."

"Sounds like a plan." He laughed some more.

Truth be told, Steve never paid mind to the products that followed after Captain America's legacy or even before it. They'd initially been created as war bonds, the entire existence of Captain America had been nothing but a way of recruiting back then. Ever since the battle in New York, Captain America had suddenly been a hot selling product again. It was bizarre seeing his face on a box of cereal…

By the time they were back on the road again, it was certainly clearer outside, much to Anna's relief.

_**xxx**_

Miami proved to be much like Anna remembered it being and just as sunny as Steve imagined it. The sizzling sun shone down brightly on their golden locks, the scent of salt carried in the crisp air smelt in every turn, as well as every corner colored green with palm trees… It had been a no wonder why so many tourists flew out here during the winter seasons.

Arriving in the late night, they slept at a local hotel (a room each) and commenced their investigation the following morning.

"According to my phone, he's…" Anna held up the device, studying the coordinates on her phone. Her features brightened, "…A few blocks from here!"

They'd wandered further downtown and now the phone was saying he was merely a few blocks away.

Steve was about to say something when the young woman began eagerly sprinting in the given direction. "Anna, wait!" he called out, following after. Something about all this just didn't feel right to the soldier… he couldn't exactly put his finger on it.

Not yet.

They were lead in front of a bookstore. Anna was far more concentrated on her fiancé to question what he was even doing at a local bookstore—she just didn't care about the details right now. The only thing she wanted was to be held by him again.

"Anna…" Steve's voice held warning as she reached for the door.

"Steven, we've come this far already, I'm not going to waste another minute more!" Anxiously pulling the door open, Anna peered inside the store to see a few people reading books by shelves, but none who were Anthony at first glance.

Then,_ his_ voice.

"Anna…"

With a sharp turn of the head, Anna spotted Anthony standing just by one of the left bookshelves. She gasped into her hands, seeing her lover standing there without so much as a scratch on him or his suit. "…Baby?" Her eyes watered, heart nearly stopping at the moment.

Steve stood warily, eyeing the man intently as he and Anna spoke. Every muscle in his body tensed with apprehension.

"Yeah, babe, it's me…" He flashed a loving smile, holding his arms out. "Come here, I'm sorry."

In the young woman's heart, she wanted to believe there was a perfectly excusable explanation for all this and that in the end things will return to how they used to be… And then a twinge of pain stung her heart at the realization.

_Back to the beginning…_

"Babe?"

His voice snapped her out of it… and without any further hesitation, the therapist ran over to her fiancé. She held him tightly as he did the same. She missed the warmth of his embraces for one thing… Actually, was it warmer than usual? His hand then grazed up her back, settling at the back of her neck. The contact of his scorching skin on her flesh made the young woman wince.

Seeing this, Steve took a cautious step forward, "Anna?"

"Anthony…" Anna glanced up at him in deep concern, getting a better view at his face now. His tan-skin was moist and feverish; even his breathing seemed laboured. "…What's… wrong? You're not well… are you sick?"

"Nah, babe… I'm perfectly okay." His sharper eyes lifted onto the super soldier, the assuring smile that held his lips in place faltered slightly at the eye contact both men shared. "Who's this guy?"

Anna ignored his question, bringing a hand to feel his forehead. "Anthony, you're sweating bullets…!" Her eyes grew wide. "Y-you're really burning up!"

"I'm fine," he snapped. "I want to know who this guy is."

"Steve Rogers," the soldier answered lastly. "And I take care how you speak with your women." His eyes were practically locked on Anna's fiancé, now absolutely positive something wasn't right.

"Don't know who you think you are, but—"

"Please," Anna pleadingly set her hands atop her lover's chest, her trembling voice tight, "Calm down, Anthony… This… this isn't like you…!"

He was so much angrier than she remember him being… _ever_!

With a scoff, he looked down at his fiancée and held her closely, "We can go home now babe, everything is fine." Because of the heat emitting off of his body, Anna was uncomfortable with the proximity.

"Where were you?" Steve questioned, "I think Anna deserves to know…"

"Seriously, who the hell is this joke?" Anthony seemed more amused than threatened by Steve. He was a little irritated though. "I think the discussion should be dealt with between the two of us, kid."

"…C-can you just… answer?" Anna begged, pulling back slightly.

At her demand, the man laughed mirthlessly, "You for real, Anna?! You can't just trust me?"

"You were gone for a few days and left me worried sick! And now I come to Miami to see you in a damn bookstore like you had nowhere else to be?! Excuse me!?" Now the anger was beginning to simmer inside of her. "You know what, yeah, I really _do_ want an explanation now!" Managing to rip herself from his surprisingly strong hug, Anna took a few steps back with her arms crossed firmly.

"Anna, babe…" he gave her a thin smile. "…This is ridiculous… I had a reason for leaving, you just have to trust me."

"Were you ever going to come back? Anthony this isn't like you…"

"Of course I was."

It was hard to perceive the unreadable expression, aside from resentment, coming off his tightened face—whether the man she was supposed to be marrying was telling her the genuine truth or not. There wasn't really enough proof or reason given for her to confirm.

When they began attracting a bit of an audience in the store, Steve approached Anna and gently set a hand on her back, "Perhaps we can be more civilized about this outsi—" He'd found himself abruptly kicked in the abdomen, crashing through the building's display window.

"STEVEN!" Anna yelled, horrified. When her bulging hazel eyes shifted onto Anthony, she caught her lover lowering his foot with a glazed look as he awaited the young man to retaliate. She took a staggered step back the second his skin began crawling with what seemed like red lights. "O-oh god," she stuttered, nearly dropping on her quivering knees. She'd forgotten how to breathe, her throat suddenly feeling tight. "…A-Anthony… w-what has…? Oh, what have they _done _to you…!?"

The screams erupting, panicked people fleeing the scene, everything had been faded into the background when the reality of this situation hit Anna. All she could do was stand there, completely stunned and much too disturbed to move.

When Anthony was then unexpectedly smacked by Steve's Vibranium-steel shield, Anna regained all feeling back to her body.

In a blink of an eye, the super soldier came to her side and effortlessly caught the retracting shield. He'd but a small cut on the side of his head and small shards of glass in his hair and clothing, but barely enough damage was done.

"Anna," he spoke softly, yet firmly enough. "Get as far away as you can."

"B-but I—"

"No, just do it. _Please_." He gave her a fleeting look, one that held resolve. "I promise I'll find you… Something's obviously wrong with your fiancé, we'll have him looked at but for now I need you to go."

SHIELD… of course.

Finally nodding, Anna took off as fast as her legs could take her and didn't look back. Only halfway out of sight did she begin sobbing.

* * *

**A/N: **And that's it for another chapter. :) Please review, let me know what you think! Special thanks to my reviewer, glad you're enjoying it so far!

Until next time!


	7. Chapter SIX

**A/N: **Had time to post another chapter! :) I apologize once again, as it is in fact a few words shorter than my previous chapters.

Thank you for the support, please continue!

* * *

**S**ummary

* * *

_"Ever since the battle in New York, Captain Steven Rogers hadn't been the same. After SHIELD assigns Steve with a therapist to help him cope and better understand his new life in the 21st century, things only get more complicated. Being pulled into the dangers that followed Steve every day, neither of them would have guessed this was the worst and best thing to happen to them."_

* * *

**C**hapter** S**ix

* * *

_"The mistake is thinking that there can be an antidote to the uncertainty." _

_― David Levithan, The Lover's Dictionary_

* * *

By the time Anna reached a safe enough distance, her legs gave out and collapsed from the overwhelming exhaustion straining them; her shoulder dropped against one of the city buildings, earning a small cry from her. Gradually sliding onto the pavement flooring, the young woman sniffled, whispering, "Oh, A-Anthony…"

While one of her trembling hands set itself atop her thudding heart, the other held the wall she leaned into.

What had been done to her lover? The worst part about this situation was that she _couldn't_ do anything about it—leave it to the Superhero, sure, why not?

Feeling so helpless… left on the sidelines, watching while the one you love was suffering… Anna's stomach twisted at the thought.

Her reaction, which would appear dramatic to the public eyes, was in fact gaining an even larger audience than received at the store. The young woman knew she had to compose herself and trust that Steve could save Anthony… It just didn't help that now there'd been an ache of guilt weighing her heart down, seeing that the soldier had gotten involved. If she'd known this would become the result, she'd have just searched for her fiancé herself.

After a few more distressing minutes, Anna stood with a grunt. She released a weary sigh, keeping steady with the wall a few seconds more before finally being able to support herself without it. Anna was a therapist, nothing more. She couldn't imagine the idea of Anthony being pulled into the world of the abnormal and supernatural!

This was what SHIELD was for, not the rest of civilization. Not her Anthony.

She'd gladly switch places with her fiancé if she could. _Gladly_.

Dragging herself back to her hotel room, Anna debated whether to contact SHIELD or not… Or maybe let Steve do it himself since she was prepared for a scolding by Director Fury for having gotten herself involved when he specifically asked her not to. No doubt would this result in some kind of suspension.

Anna gulped.

_**xxx**_

Steve was shoved back, his feet skidding along the debris surrounding himself and Anthony. By now the entire store had been evacuated leaving them to battle, Anna's fiancé remarkably stronger than the Avenger anticipated he'd be.

Whatever it was coursing through the man's veins was definitely fueling this unfamiliar power he was displaying. The lack of knowledge was slightly intimidating to Steve… he had to be much more careful while engaging.

Gripping tightly onto his shield, Steve guardedly eyed the man as he angrily shoved a few books off of him, having been thrown into one of the bookstands.

"I'm not going to ask you again… who the hell did this to you?" Steve barked, "Who is responsible?!" What experimentation had this man idiotically associated himself with? It didn't appear as though Anthony was forced—the lack of remorse coming from him being one of those reasons.

"A child giving me orders," Anthony flexed his hand, looking smugly at the Avenger. "Ya wanna know? Force it out of me."

"So be it!" Flinging his shield at him, Steve sprinted forward and pivoted his body, sending a swift kick at the man's face to only have it caught midair in a burning grip. Anthony's hand was somehow discharging hot energy from his palm that begun to burn through his pants and sting his skin.

Before smashing his forehead into Anthony's own, the soldier caught glimpse of his eyes now illuminating an ominous red glow. They pierced at his own, sending an unpleasant shiver down Steve's spine. There was that intent to kill in them.

Was the therapist's fiancé even considered a _human_ anymore? So many questions… and answers he wasn't sure he wanted Anna to hear.

Both men were left momentarily disoriented from the impact, blindly stumbling backwards until they came in contact with something to support themselves on. Steve hissed in pain, both his leg and forehead throbbing. His hand came to tend to the wound on his limb; just touching it hurt. The flesh was definitely burnt.

"What the hell are you?" growled Anthony, rubbing his own forehead.

"You've gone ahead and possessed this kind of power yet you can't even identify me?" Steve glanced at his shield, lying among the rubble. "You've just involved yourself in a world I don't think you're quite ready to take on, sir."

Anthony peered at the shield, frowning in realization. "…You're the soldier?"

"Oh, so you _do_ know about me?"

"Vaguely," he mumbled. "What's so special about a soldier from the, what, 50's?"

Steve smirked humourlessly, "40's. Surely you've been taught to treat your elders with a lot more respect than that, _son_."

He gave an indifferent shrug. Anna's family probably knew more about Captain America, her great-grandfather having served in the war if he remembered correctly. There was some rift within the family that began years ago; he gathered his fiancée didn't know her great-grandfather because of it. Honestly, Anthony lacked the details—it didn't matter right now.

"Do you even love her?" The super soldier's question caught Anthony off-guard. Seeing the stumped expression on the man's features, Steve repeated the question, "I asked you if you even love her."

Something about Steve's question sent a flicker of irritation Anthony's way. "What a ridiculous question! I wouldn't have asked her to marry me if I di—"

"Then stop resisting." Steve's lips pressed together in a thin line. "…We're not the bad guys; I'd like to help you."

"Help _me_? I don't need help."

"Yeah, you do." He went to collect his shield. "You're not stable enough to be around. You claim to love Anna… _show_ it. You know very well that _this_ isn't healthy or safe for her!"

"You don't know a damn thing," snapped Anthony.

"I do know you'll wind up hurting her and yourself if this continues…" Steve was beginning to see he wasn't going to get anywhere like this. Maybe he will have to force him back to SHIELD himself, rather than escort him willingly.

"And right there proves you know absolutely nothing," countered Anthony. "You may be chronically 90 whatever, but you're still physically and mentally a kid—_a_ _child_—one who needs to mind his own damn business."

"Sir," Steve remained stationary. "This became my problem the second you kicked me through that window."

_**xxx**_

Anna had been left brooding, too sick to her stomach to eat a bite all day. She paced the room for what seemed like endless amounts of hours, occasionally peering over to the phone with the temptation to contact SHIELD and just get them to intervene. She didn't even care anymore about what her punishment would be. Anthony needed help—that was all that ran through her thoughts. She'd been convinced that this was enforced on her lover, not an open choice.

Waiting long enough, the blonde paced over to the hotel room telephone and just as her finger dialed the first number, there was a kick to the door.

"Anna?" Steve's muffled voice was followed soon after.

The second she heard him, Anna leaped up and answered. Seeing the soldier standing there, supporting Anthony's unconscious body on one side, the young woman's heart sunk. "Oh! Is he okay!?"

Entering the room, Steve brought her fiancé to the bed and lay him down. "Yeah, he'll be fine. I've already contacted SHIELD, they'll be here to pick us up and have a look at him."

Making her way over to the bed, Anna sat next to her resting husband-to-be and inspected his appearance. His clothing was tattered and stained but he was physically unharmed—or at least Anna hadn't been able to locate a single scratch on him. Silently directing her gaze onto the soldier, she could see that he was left just as battered from the scuffle but unlike Anthony, Steve bared a few flesh wounds to prove it.

Steve watched his therapist as she carefully leaned down to kiss her lover's forehead. There was such tenderness and love poured into her subtle actions… it actually had the Avenger upset that Anthony was willing to put a caring woman like her in harm's way… and for what reason? Selfish gain?

"…I don't know what could have caused all this…" Anna began, voice soft it was barely a whisper. Her hand came to touch her love's cheek, his skin having cooled down. "…I feel… I feel like this is just… all my fault… Maybe if I had given him a bit more time and attention…? Maybe if I…" When emotion begun to fill her brittle voice, she shook her head and shut her eyes tightly.

Steve walked over to her, placing a consoling hand atop her shaking shoulder in silent comfort.

Lifting her head, Anna turned her head to look the soldier in the eyes, "…Was I _not_ enough? Did he sought out this power to compensate for something or was there a different reasoning entirely for everything? I just feel as though I'm to blame…"

"I can't exactly speak for him but I'm sure once we get to the bottom of this that everything will fall into place," Steve said. "Until we have all the answers, there's no point in trying to carry the blame for what has happened… Things happen, decisions and actions are made, all we can do is make the best of it or make things right."

Anna smiled appreciatively, "…Since when did you become the counsellor?"

With a bit of a heavy sigh, Steve finally took a spot on the floor and let his back rest against the side of the bed. He placed his arm over his knee, tiredly hanging his head with a grin, "…I've had a great therapist to learn from."

Anna stared at the back of his blonde head, a sheepish look creeping on her face. "…Well… I don't know about that… but thank you, Steven… Thank you for _everything_."

_**xxx**_

Once SHIELD arrived and took Anthony into their care, Steve and Anna were greeted by Director Fury after being transported to the airport runway. He stood by a fairly ginormous private jet with Agent Maria Hill at his side.

Anna swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. Steve had been the first to step out of the car first and came around to open the door for the young woman. He could tell she was nervous but hadn't understood why… He assumed it had to do with the current status of Anthony.

"Miss McCoy, Captain," Fury greeted once they reached him.

"Sir," Steve nodded.

Anna piped, "Director Fury, sir, I just wanted to say how incredibly sorry I am—so sorry—I promise I will—"

"Settle down, Miss McCoy. We'll properly discuss the consequences of your actions once we've returned to headquarters…"

She gave a defeated sigh. "…Yes, sir…"

"In the meantime, I'd like to speak with the Captain." His eye then settled on the soldier, earning a raised brow from him. "It's regarding the Mandarin situation. I'm not surprised you haven't seen the transmission having been dealing with Miss McCoy's affairs."

_Another broadcast?_, thought Anna worriedly.

_**xxx**_

"A virus…?"

"That's what _Extremis_ was this entire time," explained Steve.

Anna sat next to her lover's bedside, not having left his side since undergoing an ordered procedure that would temporarily stabilize the serum coursing through him. While that had been going on, she met with Fury in his office and thankfully only received a warning.

Steve had come to share what he now knew regarding Anthony's condition.

"Stark claimed that there has yet to be an actual cure for it." Much to the star-spangled man's surprise, the egotistical billionaire actually took the time to contact SHIELD and pass on what he'd learned regarding the bombings and their connection to the Mandarin. Steve was convinced Tony would forget about SHIELD's support… or just dismiss it. He'd been glad to be proven wrong.

"So Aldrich Killian is…" Anna's eyes lowered onto Anthony as he slept peacefully.

"Yeah, turns out your fiancé's so-called client was the guy behind these attacks all along," muttered Steve. "He was brought on as a financial consultant. I imagine a lot of money was being fund towards the project."

"I don't believe Anthony knew any of this…" she said through her teeth. "…He'd never associate himself with someone so… _wicked_…"

Steve said nothing in response.

"_Stark, one more thing before you disconnect…"_

"_What is it?"_

"_Are those under the influence of the Extremis consciously aware of their surroundings and actions?"_

"_From what I've noticed, yeah, they definitely are. These soldiers willingly took the super serum—much like you had, Cap."_

Anthony didn't seem bitter towards Killian when they spoke… Did this mean he'd also been open to the idea of being injected by the Extremis serum, too? Steve's jaw tightened at the idea. He was disgusted that a man would knowingly threaten his woman's life like that.

"_Killian hasn't perfected it yet, it's still in its developing stages." _explained Tony. _"His goal is to find a permanent solution for the instability."_

"_One only you would know," _Fury revealed.

"_Bingo. Until then he's fully aware of the possibility these experiments can completely backfire on him."_

In other words, these people can detonate.

Learning of the explosive side-effects, Anthony was to be later transported over to a more secure containment for the sake of everyone's safety. Steve hadn't even the heart to tell the already unhappy woman that vital piece of information, even though he was well aware that Anna deserved to know this in case Anthony's fate was in fact like those last two soldiers.

Steve eventually took note of how exhausted the young woman appeared when she began drifting, her head gradually lowering until she caught herself.

"Why don't you get some rest?" he finally suggested. "I'll look after him."

Anna shook her head, trying to keep awake. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Steve persisted. "Doctors say he'll be out for a few hours more."

"Well…" she murmured, thinking it over. What harm would an hour of rest do? Anna _was_ tired, she could barely keep her eyes open long enough to form a complete sentence!

Leaning in to gingerly kiss Anthony's sleepy lips, Anna finally stood up and stretched. She turned to the soldier, flashing him a grateful smile past obvious fatigue. "What would I do without you, Steven?"

His hand came to rub the back of his neck. "Don't mention it," he shrugged modestly. His therapist then stood on her toes to plant a kiss to his cheek briefly.

She could see him tense, as well as his face warming up as she pulled away. With a smile, she left the room without a word.

Steve stood there, left dumbfounded by the woman's appreciative gesture. He supposed having been a block of ice for so long, he had forgotten what and how any form of intimate contact from another person felt like.

More specifically, _women_.

_**xxx**_

As Anna wandered down the corridor with every intention of going to sleep, she'd suddenly become distracted by a few uttered words from a conversation carried out into the quiet hallway, coming from one of the rooms.

"He's not to obtain any of her letters… those were Director Fury's orders."

"Understood."

She froze when an agent walked out of the room to see Anna standing there like a deer caught in the headlights. "Miss McCoy?"

She recognized him and greeted him back, "Agent Sitwell."

When the therapist simply stood there without so much as another word, the agent raised a suspicious brow, "Is there something you needed…?"

Composing herself, Anna shook her head no, "I was just making my way back home to rest."

"Ah yes," he adjusted his tie, "I heard about your trip to California. My apologies regarding your fiancé, Miss McCoy."

And just like that Anna felt that same heaviness in her chest return, suddenly reminded about Anthony. "…T-thank you…" she whispered.

"Well then, if you'll excuse me."

"Sorry," She stepped aside and silently watched as the SHIELD agent took his leave. She wondered what letters they were withholding… and from _who_? Deciding not to worry about it, that Anthony should remain her priority, Anna continued on her way.

By the time she returned to her apartment, Anna lazily kicked off her heels and drop onto the couch, deciding that the bedroom was just too many steps away for her liking.

Within seconds the young woman was carried into a deep sleep…

* * *

**A/N: **Done! I hope the brief fight scene wasn't too terrible? :P I also hope the story isn't going too slow for you guys.

Please review! :)

Till next time!


	8. Chapter SEVEN

**A/N: **I apologize for the SUPER delayed update! Things happened and I was unable to post. I appreciate the continued support, thank you so much. :) Especially to my reviewers! WOW. Thank you, thank you, thanks you!

* * *

**S**ummary

* * *

_"Ever since the battle in New York, Captain Steven Rogers hadn't been the same. After SHIELD assigns Steve with a therapist to help him cope and better understand his new life in the 21st century, things only get more complicated. Being pulled into the dangers that followed Steve every day, neither of them would have guessed this was the worst and best thing to happen to them."_

* * *

**C**hapter** S**even

* * *

_"Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o-er wrought heart and bids it break." _

_― William Shakespeare, Macbeth_

* * *

Anna awoke to the gentle shake from someone's hand on her shoulder. "Anna? Anna, wakey-wakey…!"

Blinking her eyes open, the young woman sat up with a bit of a yawn. "…Hm?" Once she'd come to, her hazel eyes adjusting themselves to the lighting of her apartment, Anna finally spotted her little sister. A look of confusion was worn, "Tori? How'd… you get in here…?"

"You left your door unlocked," Once Anna had sat upright, Victoria plopped herself next to her. "I've been calling you for hours, what the hell!"

"Were you? Shit, sorry Tori…" Groggily reaching for her phone on the coffee table, the therapist read all the missed calls from her sister and one from SHIELD. The most recent one.

"You never told me you were back! How was California?" Tori looked around, noticing they were the only ones around. "Where's Anthony?"

Lowering her phone, Anna yawned. "It's… a _long_ story."

"I have time."

"Speaking of time, what time is it?" she finally asked, stretching her arms over her head.

"Couldn't you have just checked your phone?" Victoria crossed her leg over the other, drawing out her phone from the pocket of her jacket. "…Uh, it's about 10 AM."

"10 AM!? Like, in the morning!?" Anna was alarmed. When she came home to nap, it was night time! She had absolutely no intentions of oversleeping! "Oh man, I was supposed to be back—_arg_—hours ago!"

"Wha…? Back _where_!? You still have to explain to me what the hell is going on!"

The woman stood up, running towards the bedroom and dismissing her sister's questions over her frantic search for clothing. She stubbed her knee on the hallway table and yelped, "Fuck! Ow, ow, owwww…!"

Victoria's eyes bulged, "Jesus, Anna…" She stood up and went after her. "You're freaking me out!"

Anna struggled with her blouse but managed to get it on, her hasty fingers fumbling with the buttons. "I don't have time to explain _everything_, but short story, Anthony got himself into trouble."

"Trouble? What does that even mean?!" Her little sister was obviously frustrated with her vague answer. "Anna, details…!"

Anna was now working on her pants. She just put her hair up in a tousled bun. "His client turned out to be a bad man and now Anthony is ill—_not well_…" Her fists tightened at her sides. Just the thought of her lover being injected by the Extremis had her blood boiling.

"Oh my god, like drugs? Did he seriously do drugs!?"

"No, no, not _really_ drugs…" Anna wasn't sure how to describe it though. In a way, she supposed the serum could fall under 'drugs'… Before she could attempt a better explanation, her phone began impatiently buzzing on the table top.

Clearing the space between herself and the phone, Anna trotted across the room and answered. "Hello?"

It was Diana and she sounded out of breath, hysterical even.

"Di…? What's wrong? One word at a time, I'm having difficulty understanding…!"

Victoria could only watch in concern as her sister's features dropped in mere seconds, her tone becoming pale as though she'd been told devastating news.

"O-oh god—I'll be right there!" At that moment, Anna's breath seemed to have gotten stuck in her throat. After hanging up, she bolted for the door once she'd grabbed her jacket and purse. "I got to go Tori; I _swear_ I will explain everything when I see you again!"

"You swear!?" the young woman was heard calling out.

Anna opened the door and stepped out, "Promise, promise, promise!"

_**xxx**_

Arriving at SHIELD's headquarters, Anna stood there, her mouth opened but nothing able to come out.

She was left completely appalled by the sight. What she'd been suddenly met with.

Fire trucks were parked along the front building, attempts made to keep the blazing fire further back under control. Anna recognized that specific area of the building as their interrogation zone. Well what used to be now. Could someone have caused this? Most of SHIELD's personnel stood far back warily, gathering in crowds—their quiet murmurs and whispers spreading, much like the fire.

"Anna!" Anna's head turned sharply to see Diana running up to her, throwing her arms around her. She could feel her friend's trembling form. "Thank god you weren't here! I thought you got caught in the explosion or something! You seriously picked a good day to sleep in!"

"Wait, _explosion_?" she gasped, "I-is anyone hurt!?" She was praying to god that Anthony and Steve at least—

"Probably! There were people working that section this morning—oh god, Anna, I don't know what the hell happened!" She was suddenly held by the shoulders, Anna's eyes starting deep into hers. "Di, you _have_ to tell me what happened! _Try_ and remember! Please!"

"They aren't telling us anything, Anna," The woman took the therapist's hands off her shoulders. "One second I was having coffee by my computer and the next, _ka-boom_!" she emphasized with her hands.

Now she was beginning to understand Victoria's frustration, not knowing answers to the questions you desperately want solved. Her mind was practically flooding with them! What happened, where are Steve and Anthony? Were they anywhere near the explosion?!

Hours had gone by and not an answer given or even hinted as to what had exactly occurred this morning… Anna couldn't locate Steve or Anthony among the awaiting crowd and there'd been no way of getting a moment with Director Fury to ask, not when he was occupied enough as it was with all this commotion.

"They've given us the mandate to leave for the day." Diana told her. "Why don't you come over to my place…? I'll make us some coffee."

Anna was trying to understand how an explosion in one section of the building could cause this much disorder. There was definitely something that wasn't being shared with everyone else—no doubt a Level 7 protocol.

Not even Diana knew about the situation regarding Anthony so it wasn't as though she could explain things to her…

"Miss McCoy."

Both women stood straight when Agent Sitwell approached, a solemn look to his features. "Sir." Anna nodded anxiously.

"I have been given orders by Director Fury to bring you with me."

Exchanging a glance with her friend, Anna could see how unsettled she was and gave her a small, yet reassuring nod of the head. "…I'll call you," she mouthed. With an understanding nod of her own, Diana excused herself, leaving therapist and SHIELD agent alone to speak.

"Do you know anything about my fiancé?" she finally asked, her tone begging for an honest explanation.

"I do." He began sauntering towards the awaiting SUV that had pulled up. "Please follow me."

_**xxx**_

"Captain Rogers."

Steve could feel a throbbing pounding in his head, a disturbing ringing in his ears… For a second, it had even taken the soldier a moment to recognize his surroundings. "What happened…?" he mumbled, setting his palm to his forehead and pressing on it. He even blinked his eyes a few times.

"Don't you remember?"

"No… I…" he paused. "…Actually I do…" Lifting his disoriented gaze, Steve was able to see Director Fury standing at the foot of his bed, hands clasped behind his back and all. The Captain was evidentially in some recovery room.

"How's your head?"

"…Killin' me…" He'd unfortunately been caught in enough of the explosion to have him sent flying back with a sufficient amount of force to knock him out. Suddenly, his heart felt heavy…

_Anna…_

Steve swallowed, "…Did he…"

"I'm afraid so."

With his jaw tight, Steve punched his fist into the adjacent wall. "Damn it!"

"I'm sorry Captain…"

"It's not me you need to apologize to…" Not just Fury, but he as well. "…She'll be devastated…" He promised to look after him and now he was gone…

"This way," a voice was heard just outside the room, followed by trotting footsteps. When the doors opened to reveal Agent Sitwell and a desperate Anna, the soldier couldn't even bring himself to look at her as she ran over.

"Steven!"

"I'm sorry," he muttered in shame. "…So sorry…"

The woman's hands were just inches away from grabbing onto his own until Steve spoke. They froze where they were. "…What… are you apologizing for…?" Anna's heart began to thud rapidly inside of her chest.

She could sense the loss in the air…

"Oh… no… please…" She began trembling, meanwhile chocking back the tears. "…Steven… please… don't tell me…" No. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible…

The longer he averted his gaze from her, the more confirmation it was. Anthony was dead.

He was _dead_.

With quivering knees, the young woman collapsed against the bed. Her loud sniffling was the only thing in the room. "…No, no, no…!"

Director Fury looked to Agent Sitwell and motioned to them their privacy. He knew the only person who could console the therapist was the Captain himself.

Once the door closed with a click, Steve reached a hand out to touch Anna's own. "…Anna… I'm…"

"No!" Sadness quickly turned into frustration and the woman yanked her hand from Steve's. Getting to her feet, she staggered back, further and further from Steve, until her back met with the wall. "I-I _can't_…! _He_ can't…! Please, no!"

Steve got off the bed, wincing at the pain suddenly flaring on his side. He could see how broken the woman was, tears coursing down her rosy cheeks… She'd just lost the love of her life, the man she was prepared to dedicate the rest of her life with.

When he finally came close enough, the soldier held her in a tight embrace. It was then the woman broke down in his arms, pressing her sobbing face into his broad chest. Her grieving screams were muffled against the navy t-shirt he wore.

All Steve Rogers could do was hold her apologetically and let her get it out, be there for her…

_**xxx**_

"Can I get you anything…?"

"…No…"

"Anna please, you need to eat something…"

"…I'm not hungry…"

It'd been two days since Anthony died in what was explained to her as a tragic and accidental explosion. When she'd asked for the details, not much had been exchanged. Anna wanted to put blame on SHIELD for even bringing her fiancé there in the first place, having him so close to danger at all… But what was the point in that?

In the end, he was gone.

Victoria moved in with her until she got better, taking care of her and tending to her every need. She wanted to be there for her sister, but the lack of cooperation from Anna was making her company futile. This was the most she'd spoken these past few days.

"…Please… just leave me…" The woman's voice came out brittle as she curled herself under the blankets on her bed. "Go Tori…"

The young woman sighed in defeat, "…Ok, I'll be just outside if you need me…"

Once left to mourn in the comfort of lonely silence, Anna slowly sat up and set a shaking hand over the warmth of her beating heart. "…How can I still have a beating heart… when I lost the entire reason for its existence…?"

It ached so much though. So much.

At the moment, all she could register was the loss and confusion that came with it. She didn't know what to do now… Anthony gone…

That was when a soft knock at the door was heard.

"Tori, I told you—"

"It's Steve… may I…?"

His voice stung her. She was sure it was meant to come as more of a surprise, but Anna had been left too numb to register much else but shock… and pain. It was almost unbearable.

The soldier entered anyway, holding a bouquet of flowers in his arm. "…What are you doing here…?" she asked, trying to put emotion to her soft voice.

Steve paused, taking note of how heavy her eyes looked from crying so much. It had only weighed down the constant guilt he had to live with every day now, knowing he wasn't able to save Anthony.

"…I'm sorry for intruding like this, Anna…" With one stride, the soldier was kneeling down next to her bed. He set the flowers on her lap, still unable to muster the courage and look her in the eyes as he whispered, "…This is my fault… I should have protected him better… like I had promised you…"

Anna sniffed, fighting back the tears. "…Please… don't do this…" She couldn't handle it. Not wanting the Avenger to see her like this, she lay back down and pulled the covers over herself again. She'd already embarrassed herself in front of him once…

"Anna, don't," he set a hand over the lump that was her head. "…Tell me what I can do to make this right…"

"Bring him back," she whispered under her breath.

Steve caught it loud and clear though. His jaw tightened and he looked away, "…I wish I could…"

"…Then there's nothing you or anyone can do…"

"…I'm sorry…"

"Please leave, Steven…" But Anna was left regretting uttering the words the moment they slipped out… She wanted his company, was just afraid of it. "…Why did he… have to…" she chocked on the word, "…die?"

Leaning his back against the bed as he sat on the floor, Steve looked to his hands as the clenched into fists. His knuckles whitened. "…I've grown accustomed to losing men all my life… having been in a raging war you kind of learn to cope with it… When my best friend was taken away from me… I asked the same thing…" Even to this day he did. Bucky didn't deserve to die the way he did. How come Bucky and not himself instead? The Captain had even made a promise to protect his pal. One that fell through. "…I suppose I was never good at keeping 'em all safe or alive… especially those closest to me."

Steve was tired—she could hear it in his voice. This must have been affecting him to a certain degree as well.

"That's not true…"

The soldier shook his head, "It was how I felt."

There was a brief moment of silence.

"…Steven… can you stay with me for… a little while longer…?"

A small smile tugged his lips, his blue eyes drowning from remembering those sorrowful memories. "…Of course, ma'am…"

Now they were able to relate to each other better.

_**xxx**_

Fury stood just outside what used to be SHIELD's New York headquarters, now left under renovation thanks to the explosion. Most of the workers would be brought back to fulfil their respective duties as not all of the building was left burnt.

Hearing a set of steps making their way from behind, Fury spoke without turning, "How is she?"

"…Grieving, sir."

"And why wouldn't she be, it was very unfortunate." He turned his head to see the super soldier standing there with his lips formed in a thin line. "What is it?"

"I don't feel right about lying to her… She deserves to know."

"For her own good I can't allow it… You know this isn't just for our own benefit, but for the rest of the world." Fury turned to Steve.

"Why not let Stark handle it? You and I both know he's got what it takes to figure it all out… I'm sure they don't praise him a genius for nothing, sir."

"And what makes you think Stark will be willing to give us the formula? That's if he can figure one out at all."

"Where's the trust you had in him before…?" Steve frowned.

"I lost it after the Air Force aircraft was hijacked by the Mandarin, the President kidnapped. Captain, we're running on a clock here, you can't expect me to sit around and wait for Stark… I said SHIELD would only intervene if I saw need to. I saw it. I'm thinking of our nation's safety."

"…A woman is mourning the loss of her fiancé—all just because you're losing patience?" Steve was appalled. "You held enough faith in Stark back when Loki declared war on us, what's changed now…?"

"These are the orders, Captain Rogers. I do have faith in him, you, Banner—all of you. I wish you would have the same in me."

Steve said nothing for the time being; instead he took his leave in silence. His words to Fury were what had been preventing the Avenger from driving his bike back to aid Tony with his struggle against the Aldrich. That bastard.

Captain America had faith that Iron Man would win this fight.

He felt he was needed elsewhere this time around—and he knew where and who. Someone could use more of his presence right now, more than Tony did.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm sorry if there were any hideous typos or mistakes, I will reread through this tomorrow morning. I wanted to update and let you guys know I'm still alive! :P I also have to apologize for the length. Not my longest chapter but I tried putting as much important twists and plots and craziness in it. Hee hee.

If you're confused... good. :) Things will be gradually revealed.

Please review! Let me know what you think so far!

Till next time!


	9. Chapter EIGHT

**A/N: **Thank you soooo much for the reviews! You have no idea how happy it makes me! I was initially going to update during the weekend, but your reviews, follows, and favorites have motivated me to type the next chapter a few days earlier. Thank you!

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**S**ummary

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_"Ever since the battle in New York, Captain Steven Rogers hadn't been the same. After SHIELD assigns Steve with a therapist to help him cope and better understand his new life in the 21st century, things only get more complicated. Being pulled into the dangers that followed Steve every day, neither of them would have guessed this was the worst and best thing to happen to them."_

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**C**hapter **E**ight

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_"He stretched out on the bed and was suddenly struck by how utterly lonely he was." _

_― Tim LaHaye, Tribulation Force_

* * *

Anna would lie in bed, wide awake, until the dawn of day finally approached over the mountains—it was every single day until she began to gradually come to terms with her fiancé's passing. It had taken a full month and a bit for signs of acceptance to reveal itself into light, but when it did, the SHIELD therapist was able to return to her daily routines. Much to everyone's relief.

There was still a part of Anna that refused to believe he was gone, however… A part that wanted answers. She knew there was more to his death than just an "explosion"… Her heart told her so.

"Anna?"

Anna lifted her gaze from her mug and the hot contents inside of it, onto Diana. "…Sorry, did you say something?"

The woman sighed. "…I was just telling you about my weekend. You asked, remember?"

"Oh… I'm sorry, Di… I'm just… out of it." Anna took a slow sip of her coffee, hoping that would wake her up more.

"Hey, are you sure you're… you know," she shrugged. "…I mean everyone will understand if you need a little more time off…"

The young woman set her mug down, pursing her rosy lips in silence with downcast eyes. She tried masking the pain she still felt, the one that came with all this confusion and uncertainty. There was no closure and nobody seemed to want to tell her anything.

"Anna…?"

"…It's nothing—I'm fine. I'm alright. Just haven't been able to concentrate. Besides, I've taken enough time off… I'll be alright once I'm working," Hearing other people's problems usually helped distract Anna of her own. She finally sat more attentively, forcing a direct smile at her friend, "So you went out of town?"

_**xxx**_

"That's all the time we have, but I think you did well today…" Anna smiled at her client: A SHIELD agent who had faced a traumatizing kidnapping while on the field. She was progressing rather well… it was pleasing to the therapist. Improvement, this was what she lived for after all.

Once her client left her office, Anna let out a weary sigh and leaned back into her leather chair. Bringing her fingers to punch the bridge of her nose, she then let her eyes close and tried melting into a more relaxed state… Part of her wanted to take the rest of the day off, but she had one last client to see.

When a knock came at the door, Anna sat up, expecting it to be that patient. "Come in,"

Seeing the Super Soldier himself enter the room instead, Anna's eyes widen in surprise. A smile was worn on his handsome features the second they locked gaze. "Steven, you're back…!"

"Just got back," he answered, removing the leather chocolate-brown jacket he was so fond of. The Avenger had been sent on another mission under Director Fury's request, as well as went to visit Tony Stark. Although she'd been doing a lot of grieving at the time, Anna heard that the billionaire managed to stop the Mandarin—Aldrich Killian—and save the President. It'd been broadcasted on every news station. She wanted to personally thank the genius; although Tony didn't know it, he avenged Anthony by putting that crazy man in his place. Whatever he got, he deserved—and more.

Extremis should have _never_ happened.

"How was it?" she finally asked, taking her place on the sofa next to Steve. She could tell he was exhausted and could only assume he came to check on her. He'd left New York three weeks ago… it was good to see him unharmed for one.

"Infiltrating a base with highly dangerous weapons," he shrugged, "all in a day's work."

Anna smiled faintly, "I see… Still living the life of a soldier and keeping us all safe."

He chuckled, "Someone has to do it."

"So modest too,"

A small grin remained on those refine lips of his for a moment longer. When silence filled the atmosphere, Anna already knew what Steve was going to say next. Or in this case, ask. "…I'm fine," she mumbled, setting her hands atop her knees. "…Nothing has changed since you left, nothing will ever change until I know everything…"

Steve peered at Anna, his ash-blonde brow raised. "…What do you mean?" He was afraid to ask, he almost didn't.

"Fury isn't telling me everything," she murmured with absolute certainty. "…Anthony's death… Something doesn't add up, Steven… Actually, _nothing _makes sense. What caused the explosion, why was Anthony in the interrogation room in the first place? I was told—_promised_—he wouldn't be treated as a criminal. He was a victim."

When she sent Steve a suspicious look, the Soldier froze. "…Steven, do you know something I don't?"

The guilt swelled inside of his heart; he was never a man to lie, especially to a woman in mourning. He was about truth aside from everything else he believed in and yet he'd been keeping the _truth_ from Anna.

Steve was questioning Director Fury's motives…

He finally looked away and answered, "…No, I'm sorry… I don't…" Just then he felt gentle warmth touch his hand. Lifting his gaze, he was met with Anna's assuring and sincere round eyes.

"Steven, you've been there for me, _always_, don't apologize… You're the only person I can count on. I know you did everything in your power… Anthony would have appreciated it, too. So thank you…"

He gave a single nod, tight-lipped. The Super Soldier couldn't disagree more, he'd never felt more disgusted with himself. Before he could utter another word—maybe an additional apology, because no matter how many times Steve expressed how remorseful he felt, it would never seem like enough—there'd been a sudden knock at the door.

"Oh," Anna's head turned in the direction of it. "That's my last patient for the day…"

Steve stood up, adjusting his jacket. "Sorry, ma'am, I'll take my leave then."

With a small nod, Anna went to open the door. She let the SHIELD agent inside, Steve greeting the man, before stepping out into the corridor. "Please have a seat," she told her patient. "I'll be with you in just a moment."

The therapist then closed the door, giving them a bit of privacy in the hallway. "Thanks for stopping by, Steven…"

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" he asked.

"Yes," Anna emitted a small sigh. "Taking it a day at a time…" It was exhausting though.

Steve then stood there, hands in pockets, hesitating… He seemed to have more to say.

Taking note of this uncharacteristic action, she worriedly asked, "Is everything alright?"

Extracting something from one of his pockets, that was when he handed her a contact card. "It's my number," he finally revealed. "You can reach me at any time."

Taking it, the petite blonde examined it with wide eyes. "You have a phone now?" She was surprised.

"Yeah," he chuckled nervously. It certainly wasn't a fancy or flashy device, just simple enough to function. An older model.

With a light smile, Anna held the thin piece of paper between her two fingers, waving it. "I'll add you onto my contact list then. I never expected Captain America to finally come to terms with modern technology. Should we add this onto the book of historical moments?" she teased.

"I'm just taking it a day at a time," he quoted with a smirk.

"Ha. Well, I should get back to work… I'll see you around?" Anna wondered. The Avenger was usually kept busy with Director Fury having him constantly sent on dangerous and classified operations, she rarely got to see the man anymore. Not that Steve would find entertainment in her presence, not lately… All Anna did nowadays was work and come home to an empty apartment. Seemingly bigger too, without Anthony… Her only company a bowl of ice cream and movies.

"Dinner." he said.

Her hand ceased on the door knob. "What?"

"Dinner. Let me take you tonight… It's the least I can do for you…"

Anna's breath seemed to get stuck in her throat; she was at a complete loss for words. His request had come as a shock, the young woman was caught off-guard by it. "…Oh… I…"

"I mean, only if you want," he was quick to adding, crossing his arms as he tried to remain composed. Was it suddenly hot in here?

"…Why not?" She shook her head with a timid smile. "I could use a night out." Take her mind off of everything, even for just _one_ night. A few harmless hours. "Thanks for inviting me."

"Y-yeah, sure, of course." Steve was evidentially surprised she agreed so easily. Or perhaps it was the lack of dates he had in the past—not that this would be categorized as a "_date"_, no, no. "See you at 8 O'clock then?"

"It's a date."

_**xxx**_

"It's _not_ a date and he's someone I know from work."

Anna inspected her appearance in the mirror. She wore a long sleeved black dress, her long golden locks pulled into a neat ponytail.

Victoria sat on the edge of her sister's bed, eyeing her. "What's his name?"

"Steven Rogers," Anna murmured, pulling out a few golden necklaces from her decorated jewelry box.

"…Where have I heard that name before…?"

Anna wasn't alarmed. Nobody knew Captain America's real identity, Victoria was probably assuming she heard the name somewhere before but was in fact completely off. "Tori, which necklace goes well with my outfit…?"

Her sister let out a sigh, falling back against the mattress, "…The left one… Anna, are you sure… this is okay?"

"…Tori, I'm going out with a friend, that's all… I… can't forget about Anthony… _never_." They had their differences, what couple didn't, but Anna loved her fiancé. What kind of person would go looking for love merely a month after her lover's tragic passing? Feeling that her eyes were beginning to sting with tears, Anna blinked them away before they could fall and ruin her mascara. "…Can we just please not talk about it…?" Her lower lip trembled, her voice cracking.

Sensing her sister's heartache, Victoria frowned and sat up from the bed. "…Sorry Anna…"

It'd become so painful that Anna had to dismantle pictures of Anthony and herself, keep all of his belongings inside of his office where nothing was ever touched since—anything reminding the broken-hearted woman of her loss, it was all locked away, stored into that office. She hadn't even opened the door to that room since. At the time she was angry and wounded that her lover abandoned her in this corrupt world and had stopped herself from tearing the last photograph of them in her hand, sympathetic to that fact he wasn't to blame for the explosion.

It'd been one of those '_being in the wrong place at the wrong time_' situations, but Anna was beginning to doubt it. In spite of all that, it didn't end the ache in her heart. She didn't think anything would be able to ever fill the void Anthony left there either…

A polite knock at the door snapped Anna from her unhappy thoughts. She looked to her sister, "Can you—"

"Answer?" She got off the bed, "On it."

"Thanks."

Anna could hear Victoria answering the door and greeting the soldier. Steve's deep voice followed after, asking if Anna was ready. It flowed smoothly along the walls, echoing throughout the small apartment.

"She'll be a moment longer. Did you want a drink while you wait?"

"Sure, thanks."

Anna quietly stared into the mirror, carefully applying her apple-red lipstick on her full lips, when she accidentally nudged a stack of papers sitting by her feet. "Ugh," Putting her lipstick away into her purse, she knelt down and began cleaning the mess. It was information SHIELD provided her regarding Captain America, things she needed to know before becoming Steve's therapist. To be honest, she skimmed through most of it, only because she preferred the interaction between herself and her patients—Steve, in this case, to willingly let her into that part of his life.

"Anna?" Victoria impatiently called. "You're keeping Steve waiting!"

"Oh, coming!" For the time being, Anna just carelessly stacked each page over the other, ignoring their appropriate order. As she was about to shove the pile beneath her desk, a name written at the top page instantly grabbed her attention.

Taking that specific page into her hands, Anna gasped, "General Chester Philips…?"

"Anna!"

"Okay!" Folding it up into a small square, the therapist dropped the paper into her purse for now and finally emerged from the bedroom.

She gave Steve an apologetic look, "Hi, so sorry!"

At her arrival, the Avenger stood from the couch while clutching a bouquet of flower. "You look great," he smiled.

Anna's eyes moved off of the flowers, onto the man's appearance. Underneath his jacket, Steve wore a white collar shirt tucked into khaki pants. His hair remained groomed and tidy, like he usually kept it.

Keeping away from Steve's eyes, Victoria gave her sister an approving thumbs-up and mouthed how 'cute' he was. Suddenly her sister didn't seem so judgemental towards Anna going out with another man.

Not that _this_ was what _this_ looked like…

"Oh," His blue eyes lowered onto the flowers, his other hand coming to scratch the back of his neck sheepishly, "I, uh, got these for you…"

A warm smile tugged Anna's painted lips, "…Thank you, that was very thoughtful of you…" She looked the Victoria, "Can you put these in a vase for me?"

"Sure!"

Once the bouquet had been taken, all kinds of beautifully assorted colorful flowers, Anna went to grab her coat. "Well then, let's get going."

Steve nodded, opening the door for Anna before glancing back at her little sister. He flashed an unintentionally charming smile, "It was nice meeting you."

"Have fun!"

_**xxx**_

Dinner at La Grenouille.

Steve had chosen one of the finer restaurants in the Manhattan area, one that made delectable French cuisine. It held more of an old-fashioned, romantic atmosphere, but Anna chose to ignore that. Steve did, too. He'd never been, just decided through word-of-mouth. The area was filled with more couples than friends, but still quite busy for a Wednesday evening.

"How did you manage reservations here?" she finally asked the soldier, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "That Mushroom Risotto was delicious."

Steve took a generous sip of his water before answering, "I'm actually really surprised myself." He chuckled, "I suppose luck was on my side. When I called, they had one last table open."

"Thank you for doing this," Anna said. "I must sound like a broken record…"

"Not at all," he assured her. "A better night spent than beating the punching bag for hours." If not kept busy on draining SHIELD missions, Steve usually found himself at the gym where he released a bit of stress and tension from his everyday life.

The young woman accompanying him couldn't help but smile sadly in response to this. "…Don't you ever get lonely?"

"Lonely?" he asked, taken aback.

Anna gave a warm, encouraging smile, "…Yeah… Everyone gets a little lonely sometimes…" Even her—now more than ever. She was very fortunate to at least have her family though, especially Victoria.

After considering it for a second, Steve shook his head with a bit of a laugh. "Depending on what your definition of loneliness is, ma'am, I'm usually kept on a schedule full of activity anyways," he said truthfully.

"Oh, I'm sure you are. I sometimes wish I had eventful missions to keep me distracted from… well, everything else," she shrugged. "At least that way I'd have an excuse for getting up every morning…" She sounded as miserable as that sentence did.

"Anna…"

"I'm sorry," Anna leaned back in her seat in frustration. "Gah. This is supposed to be a fun night…"

"I'm here if you want to talk about it, no one is expecting you to forget about him or would blame you for wanting to move forward…" he said, watching as she called over a waitress.

"Can you bring some more wine please, just leave the bottle," she instructed.

The Avenger's brows rose. "…That's… one way of coping with it…" Hell, he even did a bit of drinking when Bucky died, but in result failed to get drunk due to the Super Soldier serum. Would have probably made the process of grieving a lot easier…

"You don't mind do you?" Anna asked, just as the waitress returned with a bottle on ice and set it at their table.

"No… it's fine." He blinked, sitting there awkwardly while the young woman began her consumption of wine.

This was going to be a long night, wasn't it…?

_**xxx**_

The night winter air was chilly, yet pleasant. Having not been as cold as early December had been, this month was relatively tamer in terms of weather. A perfect night for a stroll in the park… If only the circumstances a better one.

Steve effortlessly carried an intoxicated Anna on his back, trailing through the thin layer of snow beneath his feet. He was taking her back to her apartment. "…Don't tell my mother, please…" She hiccupped. "Oh, my father will be angry too!"

"I won't," He figured some air would do her good.

"…I'm sorry, I ruined… I completely ruined our perfectly perfect date…" She whined, "You must hate me, Captain…"

"N-no," Steve frowned. "…Probably shouldn't have had so much to drink though…" At least she chose to do so in his presence, as funny and probably odd as that may have come across. At least that way Steve knows he could look after her in this state. It was just that self-assurance. Anna was already a fragile and broken woman.

"I'll have you back home in no time."

"No…! Noooo… Don't let Tori see me like this, oh no…" The woman groaned into the back of Steve's broad shoulder. "…I don't want anyone seeing me like this…"

"Well, that doesn't leave us with many options…" he pointed out. "Do you have a friend then?"

"Diana… but she can't see me like this either… No, nooo…" Breathing into his neck, Steve tensed. "You smell _really_ good, Steven… You smell like… like… _him_."

"Oh Anna," he sighed.

When soft sobs escaped her, Steve picked up the pace in his steps. He'd have to bring her back to his place.

Not that the man minded, but…

_**xxx**_

After managing to unlock the door to his apartment, meanwhile supporting a tiny woman on one side, Steve finally carried Anna straight into his bedroom and onto the bed, setting her purse on his desk, before going back to close the door. He never quite imagined the night ending like this, but he could also empathize that she needed some way to wash away those sorrows—or drink them away.

He got a bucket and water ready, just in case the wine decided to come back up with a nasty vengeance. Returning to the bedroom, Anna seemed fast sleep, her trench coat and red heels still worn.

Placing the plastic pail on the floor by the bed, the soldier positioned himself by the foot of the bed and began removing her heels at least. She stirred slightly in her sleep and just when Steve thought she drifted once more, Anna mumbled sleepily, "…Mm… Steven… I… want to know why… my great-grandfather…" She trailed off…

"Sorry?"

"…Purse…"

Peering over to her purse, Steve raised a brow. "You want your purse?"

"…Mhm…" She seemed more asleep than awake, but he didn't argue with her and went to retrieve it. "Here," He showed it to her once her heavy eyes open. "What did you need?"

Rolling onto her side, Anna managed to pull out the piece of paper from earlier and handed it to him. "…This…" She got more comfortable on his bed, cold pillow pressed against her rosy cheek. "…You… knew my great-grandfather…"

"What?" Steve unfolded the page, revealing an image of General Philips and a recording on him and the Captain himself. He looked at her with confusion. "…What is this?" he questioned.

Anna had finally drifted into a deep sleep before he could get any answers.

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**A/N: **My first little "surprise!" moment in the story! What did you think? I had thrown out subtle hints in a few chapters that Anna's family had been associated in the war somehow, I hope you got the desired results. :) I have a lot more in store, so please review and let me know what you think so far!

Till next time!


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